Details of crash presented in court
Trooper injured by alleged drunken driver in ‘extremely critical condition’
Tuwanna Moore, 31, of League City did not speak during her arraignment Wednesday in a Harris County courtroom on charges of intoxication assault in a traffic crash on Labor Day that injured Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Chad Blackburn.
A League City woman charged with critically injuring a Department of Public Safety trooper while allegedly driving drunk over the Labor Day weekend was weaving through traffic at speeds that exceeded 100 mph, prosecutors said Wednesday.
“I was amazed that he is still alive,” Harris County Assistant District Attorney Alison Baimbridge said. “I was amazed that she is still alive as well, and with as minor injuries as she has.”
The trooper, Chad Blackburn, remains in “extremely critical condition” in Memorial Hermann Hospital and still could die from his injuries, which included a broken pelvis, collapsed lung and internal bleeding, Baimbridge told the judge.
Baimbridge laid out the case against Tuwanna Moore, 31, a logistics supervisor at NASA, in a Harris County courtroom.
Baimbridge said Moore was driving a red Mercedes when she allegedly slammed into the Blackburn’s patrol unit, which was stopped along the shoulder of Interstate 45 about 2 a.m. Monday. She hit the patrol vehicle with such force that her car flipped at least once while both vehicles spun around on the shoulder of the Gulf Freeway.
Moore, who is free on $100,000 bond, appeared in court but did not speak during arraignment. State District Judge Marc Carter prohibited her from drinking or driving and ordered that she wear an alcohol-sensitive ankle monitor while on bond.
Moore was arrested shortly after the wreck. Baimbridge said Moore was combative when she was arrested, and her blood alcohol level was measured at 0.29 — more than three times the legal limit.
If convicted of intoxication assault of a peace officer, Moore could face a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Moore’s attorney, Tony Wadhawan, said his client and her family are sad and remorseful about what happened.
“Their hearts and prayers are definitely with Officer Blackburn and his family,” he said. “We are definitely hoping for a speedy recovery for him.”
DPS troopers enhanced their patrols for drunken drivers over the Labor Day weekend. During the 2015 Labor Day holiday enforcement period, DPS troopers made 488 arrests for intoxicated driving.