Tragedy struck in Missouri City, Texas, as a mother and son lost their lives in a car accident involving a police officer who was responding to a robbery call. Angela Stewart, 53, and her son Mason Stewart, who was celebrating his 16th birthday, were identified as the victims of the crash.
The incident occurred when the officer received a call about a robbery in progress at an ATM on Cartwright Road. A man armed with a handgun had approached a victim and stolen $200 before fleeing in a silver Honda Civic. The victim decided to follow the suspect while providing real-time updates to 911.
Meanwhile, the officer was on his way to the scene of the robbery when the collision occurred. The Stewarts’ vehicle pulled out of a Dollar Tree parking lot onto Cartwright Road, directly into the path of the police cruiser. The impact was devastating, resulting in the deaths of Mason and his mother.
Witnesses at the scene described hearing a loud sound followed by the sight of the police cruiser crashing into the Stewarts’ car and catching fire. The tragic accident left the community in shock and raised questions about how it occurred.
In a puzzling twist, hours after the crash, authorities discovered a person in the back of the police cruiser. First responders worked frantically to extract the individual and provide medical assistance. However, it remains unclear why this person was in the patrol car and why it took so long for them to be discovered.
One witness, Kenneth Mitchell, expressed his concern about the delayed finding, stating, “That really got to me. Three and a half hours later they just now find him? That means they didn’t check if anyone was in the car.” The incident highlights the need for thorough and efficient response protocols during emergencies.
The Missouri City Police Department acknowledged that having someone in custody in the back of a patrol car contradicts their policy for officers responding to calls. As investigations continue, authorities are trying to determine why the officer had a person in custody and whether he had activated his cruiser’s lights and sirens prior to the collision.
The officer involved in the accident was hospitalized but has since been released. The person found in the back of the patrol car was taken to Ben Taub Hospital, and their condition is currently unknown. The officer has been with the Missouri City Police Department for less than a year, having previously served in another agency for approximately two years.
As the community mourns the loss of Angela and Mason Stewart, investigations are ongoing into both the tragic accident and the ATM robbery. The Missouri City Police Department encourages anyone with information about the robbery to contact them. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of safe driving practices and the need for thorough investigations to determine the causes of accidents.
