Montgomery County Deputy Killed in an I-45 Crash Near The Woodlands

What Happened on I-45?

Early on Sunday, June 28, 2026, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Erika Serrato was killed while she helped manage traffic at the scene of an earlier crash on the northbound North Freeway (I-45) near The Woodlands. According to the sheriff’s office, deputies had responded to a multi-vehicle, DWI-related crash at about 2:39 a.m., and at roughly 3:40 a.m. a commercial utility truck struck the deputies who were providing traffic control. Deputy Serrato, 24, died at the scene.

A second deputy was hit by debris and taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. The driver of the commercial truck was also hospitalized and was expected to recover. The sheriff’s office said Deputy Serrato had served the agency since she was 18, starting as a detention officer before becoming a patrol deputy. The cause of the second collision remained under investigation.

In the earlier crash, authorities arrested and charged 34-year-old Ashton Jammer with driving while intoxicated. As of this writing, no charges had been announced in connection with the collision that struck the deputies.

Texas’s “Move Over, Slow Down” Law

A crash stopped along a busy freeway is one of the most dangerous places on a Texas road — for officers, tow operators, road crews, and stranded drivers alike. Texas has a “Move Over, Slow Down” law, found in Section 545.157 of the Texas Transportation Code, that requires drivers approaching certain stopped vehicles using visual signals — including police, emergency, tow, and TxDOT vehicles, and stalled vehicles showing hazard lights — to move out of the lane nearest the vehicle when the road has more than one lane in that direction, or to slow to at least 20 miles per hour below the posted speed limit. Whether that law or any other factor played a role here is part of what investigators are working to determine.

Who Can Be Affected?

A chain-reaction crash on a freeway can affect many people at once, not only those in the first collision. After a wreck like this, people who may have legal options can include:

• Anyone injured in the original crash or in a secondary collision at the same scene
• Passengers, and the families of anyone killed by an impaired or negligent driver
• People struck while stopped, stranded, or helping at the roadside
• Witnesses and others who saw what happened and can help establish the facts

Each of these situations can be very different, which is one reason these cases are rarely as simple as they first appear.

What Kind of Claim Might Apply?

Experienced attorneys generally describe a few paths that can apply after a serious Texas crash — when an investigation shows the crash was caused by someone else’s negligence:

• Drunk-driving injury claims — a driver who causes a crash while intoxicated can be held responsible for the harm to others, and in Texas that civil claim is separate from any criminal case.
• A wrongful death claim — Texas law lets a surviving spouse, children, and parents seek compensation when a death is caused by another’s negligence, under the Texas Wrongful Death Act.
• Commercial-vehicle and employer responsibility — when a work truck or commercial driver is involved, the driver’s employer and its insurance can also be part of the picture.
• Insurance claims — figuring out which policies apply, and dealing with the insurers, usually takes investigation.

A lawyer can investigate what caused the crash, obtain the official report and any dash-cam or surveillance video, identify everyone who may share responsibility, and deal with the insurance companies so an injured person or grieving family does not have to. Figuring out whether a claim applies is exactly the kind of thing a lawyer does for you.

Why Acting Quickly Can Matter

Time matters here for two reasons. First, Texas law sets deadlines. For most personal-injury and wrongful death cases, the statute of limitations is generally two years from the date of injury or death, with limited exceptions. Second, the evidence that matters most — the scene, the vehicles, any nearby dash-cam or surveillance video, and witness memories — can fade in the weeks after a crash.

Many people choose to talk to a lawyer early for exactly that reason: so the evidence can be preserved and documented while it is still fresh, and so they understand what a case may involve before dealing with any insurance offer. The referral and the first consultation are free.

Sources

1. ABC13 Houston — Montgomery Co. deputy struck and killed while investigating DWI crash on North Freeway
2. KHOU 11 — Montgomery County deputy Erika Serrato killed; remembered for her dedication to public service
3. KPRC 2 Click2Houston — Montgomery County deputy killed by vehicle on I-45 North near The Woodlands
4. FOX 26 Houston — Montgomery County deputy Erika Serrato killed on the North Freeway
5. Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 545 (Section 545.157, Move Over / Slow Down)
6. Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code, Chapter 71 (Wrongful Death)
7. Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code, Chapter 16 (Limitations)