Former Missouri city official responsible for fatal crash arrested and charged with manslaughter – Houston Public Media

A former Missouri City police officer responsible for striking and killing two people and partially paralyzing another person earlier this year was arrested Wednesday and is charged with manslaughter, according to jail records.

16-year-old Mason Stewart and his mother, Angela Stewart, died in a car accident on June 20 after their vehicle was struck by a patrol car while leaving a parking lot near FM 2234 that night. Michael Hawkins, 53, who was in the back of the police car during the crash, was hospitalized and was left partially paralyzed.

27-year-old Blademir Viveros, the Missouri city officer who was behind the wheel of the police vehicle during the crash, was responding to a robbery at the time of the collision. It was not immediately clear why a person was in the back seat of the police vehicle while Viveros responded to a robbery call. He was removed from office after the crash.

According to the Department of Public Safety, the former officer was driving too fast and did not turn on emergency lights or sirens.

A lawsuit was filed on Hawkins' behalf against the Missouri City Police Department in July. He was found in the back seat of the damaged vehicle with serious injuries about two hours after the accident.

RELATED: Lawsuit filed against Missouri City police on behalf of man found in officer's backseat hours after crash

“He is currently unable to move or feel his lower extremities and has lost the use of one of his upper extremities,” the lawsuit states. “It is expected that he will remain in hospital for the foreseeable future and will continue to receive treatment.”

Viveros was arrested Wednesday and charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

His bail was set at $800,000, according to jail records.