CLEVELAND, Texas – A suspected drunken driver has been charged after two Cleveland High School students were hit by a pickup truck as they crossed the street near their school on Monday evening, according to the Cleveland Police Department.
The suspect, 32-year-old Dillion Ray Lamb, has been charged with intoxication assault with a motor vehicle. His bond was set at $25,000 during Wednesday’s court appearance.
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What happened
The incident took place on E. Houston Street at approximately 6:30 p.m.
Police said the two male students, ages 14 and 16, were leaving a nearby restaurant called Fish Tales Seafood and were using the crosswalk to get back to the school when a white 2019 Chevrolet Silverado commercial truck, owned by Hunton Train company, hit them.
Both students were airlifted to the Texas Medical Center in critical condition, police said. KPRC 2 has learned from the Cleveland police chief that the teens are now in stable condition.
Investigators said Lamb was arrested for intoxication and booked into the Liberty County Jail.
The pickup truck reportedly has a dash camera inside it, so investigators said that video is expected to be used throughout the investigation.
A spokesperson for Hunton Train declined to comment on the incident.
Sergeant Edwards with Cleveland PD said the “heavily-trafficked” highway is pretty dangerous for pedestrians.
“There is street lighting at the crosswalk, but before and after the lighting is insufficient. It’s pretty dangerous. It’s a very well-traveled roadway. With the latest growth in the area, the county, there’s far more vehicle traffic than most people are used to,” Edwards said.
A spokesperson for the district said this isn’t the first time students have been hit in the area.
“The last five years, we’ve really worked to light up one of the crosswalks and to actually get the one that the two boys were on painted,” Susan Ard, Director of Communications and Media at Cleveland ISD said. “There is still continuous conversations with the state to see what we can do to help continue the safety of the kids crossing.”
Investigators of the Cleveland Police Department are requesting anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or have additional information pertaining to this case to contact the Cleveland Police Department at 281-592-2622.
This evening, Monday, 11/28 at approximately 6:30pm two of our Cleveland High School students were struck by a car as they were crossing E. Houston street from the high school campus to the business strip center. Both students have been life flighted to a Houston area hospital.
— Cleveland ISD (@ClevelandISDTX) November 29, 2022