WALLER COUNTY – The 16-year-old driver accused of striking a group of cyclists with his truck in late September has now been charged, the Waller County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday.
The teen is now facing six felony charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, one charge for each of the cyclists who was injured.
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According to the Waller County DA’s Office, the teen voluntarily surrendered and was detained by representatives from the juvenile justice department where he will be held in custody until further orders of the juvenile court.
The cyclists were hit at about 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25 in the 41800 block of Business U.S. 290. All six cyclists suffered injuries in the crash. Four were transported by ambulance and two were transported via Life Flight to a local hospital.
The attorneys representing the cyclists said their clients suffered a range of injuries, including broken vertebrae, cervical and lumbar spinal injuries, broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, lacerations, road rash and severe bruising.
According to a crash report, the driver was intentionally blowing exhaust while reaching for his cellphone when he struck the cyclists.
Officers with the Waller Police Department were called to the scene. The officers did not take statements from the cyclists at the scene of the crash or at the hospitals to which they were transported, the cyclists’ attorneys said.
In a Sept. 28 social media post, Attorney Elton R. Mathis stressed that the teen would receive “no favorable or unfavorable treatment based upon who his family may or may not be.”
“We reiterate, THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS CASE that involves a juvenile and six individuals that thankfully are not deceased at this time,” Mathis wrote. “We hear your complaints, we understand your frustration, but this case WILL BE THOROUGHLY reviewed and justice will be done.”
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