MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas A Magnolia man faces an intoxication manslaughter charge after a two-vehicle accident left a woman dead early Sunday in Montgomery County, deputies said.
According to the Montgomery County Sheriff s Office, the accident happened just after 1 a.m. at State Highway 105 and Navajo.
When responders arrived at the scene, they found a Mitsubishi SUV upside down alongside the road and a Dodge Ram 3500 head on into a utility pole.
Inside the SUV were two female teens, ages 18 and 15, and their aunt and uncle, who were in the back seat, deputies said. The uncle had minor injuries, but the woman died at the scene.
Deputies said the driver of the Dodge pickup fled the scene on foot. Law enforcement officers started a search when he appeared at Conroe Regional Hospital with a broken arm.
Two Montgomery County Assistant District Attorneys responded to the hospital along with State Troopers and interviewed the driver identified as Wayne Richard Compton, 28.
Compton was intoxicated and admitted to have been driving the vehicle, investigators said. He was arrested and taken to the Montgomery County Jail and charged with intoxication manslaughter with vehicle, intoxication assault with vehicle causing serious bodily injury, two counts of aggravated assault causes serious bodily injury and accident involving death.
Troopers worked through the night sorting out skid marks and damage.
Entergy was called out to repair the broken pole. One witness said when the pole broke the power lines fell on another set of lines creating a fireworks show. Lights were out in the area until close to 10 a.m.
According to the investigation, the SUV was heading east on Navajo, waiting for the traffic light to change. The Dodge truck which pulled onto SH 105 from Blue Heron at a high rate of speed slammed into the rear of the SUV.
The impact was so strong that it broke the frame of the SUV, and caused the outer door skin of the SUV to pop off, investigators said. The truck then pushed the SUV through the intersection into a grassy area behind a shopping center and flipping it over, investigators said. The pickup slammed into the utility pole. Prior to impact there were no signs of a skid mark indicating the truck tried to stop.
The names of the victims have not been released yet.
