Texas Officer Charged With Manslaughter in Fatal Crash

A Texas patrol officer is facing felony charges following a high-speed crash that killed two children after he responded to a “person with a weapon” call without activating his emergency lights or siren, prosecutors said.

Michael Hightower, a 2½-year veteran of the Baytown Police Department, has been indicted on two counts of manslaughter and one count of aggravated assault stemming from the Oct. 23 crash, according to the department. Authorities say Hightower was driving a marked patrol vehicle when he collided with a van carrying six people at an intersection around 7:10 p.m.

Court documents cited by ABC13 and KPRC state that Hightower was traveling well above the speed limit and did not have his lights or siren activated at the time of the crash. Two brothers, Jude Russell, 10, and Ryver Russell, 8, died from their injuries five days later.

An older sister, who suffered severe injuries, is listed as the victim in the aggravated assault charge. Two younger sisters, ages 14 and 3, were also injured, and the woman driving the van was treated for injuries, according to KHOU.

A GoFundMe campaign for the family had raised more than $73,000 as of Dec. 17. An update said the two youngest girls had been released from the hospital, while the oldest sister “is still fighting to overcome her injuries.”

Hightower was also injured in the crash and remains on medical leave. Police said he turned himself in on Monday and was released after posting a $150,000 bond.

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