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A lot of HPD photos are unusable, 11 News has learned.

Is that something that will keep cases from going to court, or affect those that do?

When Sergio Gonzales’ tow truck slammed into a vehicle killing Leon Roberson and his wife Maureen two weeks ago, many believed it was just a matter of time before Gonzales would be charged with a crime, especially after witnesses said he was going 90 mph down Wallisville just before impact.

But 11 News found we may never know exactly what happened that night, because the detailed report taken by HPD’s accident division wasn’t so detailed.

AP

HPD's photo equipment is in poor condition.

Warren Diepramm is a veteran prosecutor for Harris County.

“You’ve got understaffed people with outdated equipment trying to do an investigation that is in many ways much more complex than a murder scene,” said Diepramm.

He says they need training and they are not getting it.

“They need help. They need support. I mean there are so many victims out there of violent crimes involving motor vehicles where the perpetrator just gets away with it,” Diepramm said.

Regarding the Gonzales case, a blood sample taken from him for testing disappeared for several days.  Reportedly it was just found and finally taken to the DPS crime lab, but that is unconfirmed.

What about the photographs taken at the scene by investigators? The camera didn’t work. No photos are available, which are critical for the investigation.

We told the mayor Thursday night that this wasn’t the only case where there’s been a problem.

We learned that in five recent fatal traffic accidents, no photos are available. The 35mm point-and-shoot cameras that cost less than $50 apparently didn’t work at those scenes either.

HPD said it’s aware of the problem.