A 19-year-old Porter man who admitted to working on his truck days before a deadly crash blamed on faulty brakes will spend a year in jail following his recent conviction.
Sebastian Lopez accepted a plea deal on the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide July 12 in the October crash that killed a 14-year-old boy riding in another vehicle. Lopez was charged with manslaughter.
According to information from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, Lopez was not intoxicated and cooperated with law enforcement. Lopez had no previous criminal history.
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Brittany Hansford, Vehicular Crimes chief, said in determining an outcome in this case, prosecutors met with and spoke to the family of the teen, considered the facts of the offense and reviewed information about Lopez’s background.
“While we understand the young age and lack of criminal record, the tragic loss of life necessitated accountability and a just outcome,” Hansford said. “Our pursuit of justice serves as a reminder that everyone, regardless of age, must face the consequences of their choices.”
According to an arrest affidavit, Lopez was driving a Chevrolet Silverado at the intersection of Interstate 69 and the Grand Parkway around 9:20 p.m. Oct. 16 when he allegedly ran a red light and hit an Acura.
The 14-year-old and two other siblings, 2 and 9, were passengers in the Acura driven by their mother. Their father was also in the car.
The older children were taken to area hospitals. The teen died Nov. 18 from his injuries. No one else was injured in the crash.
Lopez told an officer with the Woodbranch Police Department his brakes had given out, according to a court document. Lopez said he and his passenger were headed to Whataburger and that he almost ran a red light at Loop 494 and Community Drive. He also told the officer he had been working on the truck’s brakes “a day or two” before the accident and was aware they were not working properly.
In the arrest affidavit, Department of Public Safety Trooper Benjamin Polansky stated while on the scene, Lopez consented to a download of the truck’s Airbag Control Module that showed the truck was traveling 60 mph in a 45-mph zone and only slowed to 53 at the time of the impact. Lopez told Polansky he tried to stop the truck with the parking brake. The analysis of the download, Polansky stated in the affidavit, also showed the brake switch circuit was off for the last eight seconds before the crash.
Lopez’s truck was taken to Wiesner GMC in Conroe for a vehicle autopsy, which showed the brake fluid reservoir was empty, there was no caliper or brake pad on the front left rotor, the front right caliper was not attached properly and the right back brake drum pad was broken, court documents show. The autopsy also showed the Brake Switch Status was off.
Judith Shields, who represented Lopez, could not be reached for comment.
