HOUSTON – Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo says it’s a “Christmas miracle” that two officers are hospitalized instead of being dead after they were injured in a head-on crash involving a suspected drunken driver.
The crash occurred on Telephone Road near Peekskill at about 12:15 a.m. Monday.
One of the officers, 25-year-old John Daily, suffered burns to 50 percent of his body and was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition. He remains in serious condition as of late Monday morning but is expected to survive.
An HPD spokesman says Officer Daily and his partner, Officer Alonzo Reid, 25, were in a patrol unit when they were struck by the suspect. The police car flipped upside down and caught fire.
Acevedo, joined Monday afternoon by parents of both officers, said Daily is expected to be sedated for a few days as he faces more surgeries.
Reid is alert and in great spirits, Acevedo said.
Lisa Malone, Reid's mother, and John's father Owen implored others to avoid intoxicated driving.
"I know this is the Christmas season and I'm reaching out to everybody in Houston and around the world, do not drink and drive," Malone said.
Owen Daily thanked the community for its outreach and prayers during a difficult Christmas Eve.
"He's going to be in for a long battle," Owen Daily said of his son John. "The way the police department has come together to help us out has been fantastic. ... We really need to get (drinking and driving) under control."
Photos: Officers hurt in fiery crash in southeast Houston
The suspect in the crash, 23-year-old Cesar Collazo, is charged with two counts of failure to stop and render aid and two counts of felony intoxication assault with serious bodily injury on a public servant.
RAW VIDEO: Surveillance video of fiery head-on crash
A passerby and Officer Reid pulled Daily from the burning car. Reid suffered less serious injuries and was taken to the hospital by ambulance.
“He’s (Officer Daily) in for the fight of his life,” the chief said. “We really need some prayers, especially for God’s healing, that he be healed in a manner, that at some point he can come back to work.”
CELL PHONE VIDEO: Scene on fiery head-on crash involving HPD officers
Chief Acevedo says Officer Daily has been on the force for a year. Reid was also a classmate of Daily’s.
“This is a Christmas miracle that we’re standing here talking about officers that are hospitalized and not officers that are dead,” the chief said at a late Monday morning press conference.
The chief said Officer Reid suffered second-degree burns but is expected to make a full recovery.
“His (Officer Reid’s) challenge is going to be the emotion, the psychology, the trauma of going through this very violent incident, and watching his partner, classmate come within seconds of dying,” Acevedo said.
The chief says he was not going to release the name of the civilian who helped Officer Reid pull Officer Daily from the burning vehicle, because he wants to respect their privacy.
Chief Acevedo also credited the medical staff who are tending to Officer Daily and Officer Reid for all their hard work in treating the two officers.
Earlier Monday morning, the chief said Daily’s family was on their way in to see him at the hospital. His twin brother is also a member of HPD.
“I remember pinning this officer (Daily), his badge, and his brother, both of them, his twin brother, who has been on force about two years,” the chief said.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner says he spoke with Officer Reid’s mother and two sisters. He said they were in good spirits.
"These are two young officers, they have been with the force for less than two years, and with regards to Officer Daily, his parents are en route from the West Coast, they should be here within the next few hours, so we want to lift those family members up,” the mayor said. “The main thing is they need our support and we can give them our support by our prayers.”
The suspect ran from the scene but was later found and was taken into custody. Houston Police have now identified the suspect driver as Cesar Collazo, 23. His mugshot will be released at a news conference scheduled for 3 p.m.
According to court documents, he is charged with two counts of intoxicated assault of a peace officer and two counts of failure to stop and render aid.
“As far as this suspect that caused all this carnage tonight, we’re absolutely going to keep a close eye on this case to make sure he is prosecuted to the full extent of the law, cause we almost lost an officer tonight cause of his selfish act,” Officer Joe Gamaldi, president of the Houston Police Officers Union, said Monday morning.
Police say this wreck was one of three involving officers and DWI suspects overnight.
- Just before 2 a.m. Monday, a suspected drunken driver crashed into another HPD patrol unit in the 200 block of West Little York and ran from the scene. He was eventually captured. Luckily, the officers involved were not injured.
- Just before 10 p.m. Sunday, officers stopped a suspected drunk female suspect in the 100 block of Yale. During the stop, she backed up into the patrol unit, and then got into a fight with officers. She was arrested and taken into custody.
“Let’s be real honest, we’re in the worst city, worst county and worst state for drunk driving, and when it comes to driving under the influence, injuries and fatalities,” Acevedo said. “And Texas, we’re very proud of being No. 1 in a lot of areas, but we’re also No. 1 as a state as it relates to fatalities and injuries from drunk drivers. And there is no excuse. I don’t know if it is part of our bravado, I don’t know if it is our masculinity, I don’t know what it is about, but there is no excuse for it.”
Mayor Turner urged residents to not drink and drive this holiday season.
“I do want to emphasize to Houstonians as we go through this holiday season, please do not drink and get behind the wheel, you’ll put other people’s lives at stake as well as your own,” the mayor said. “And I do hope the DA will take these type of cases very seriously."
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