CENTERVILLE, Texas – A deputy with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office was reportedly killed in the line of duty Wednesday night after being involved in a crash while transporting an inmate.
The crash took place in Centerville which is about 80 miles from the sheriff’s office, north of Huntsville.
Authorities said Deputy Charles Rivette was transporting an inmate at the time of the crash.
According to deputies, the accident involved five vehicles.
MCSO said an 18-wheeler was traveling southbound, while Deputy Rivette, who was a passenger in the 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe patrol vehicle, was also traveling southbound when the patrol vehicle hit the 18-wheeler.
Deputy Rivette was ejected from the patrol vehicle onto the northbound lanes of I-45. Deputies said the driver of a Ford F-150 was traveling northbound and hit Deputy Rivette. At the same time, two more 18-wheelers hit the patrol vehicle.
The driver of the patrol vehicle, 37-year-old Deputy James Frances, was transported to the hospital. Deputy Rivette was pronounced dead at the scene and the inmate who was being transported was also taken to the hospital.
One of the drivers of the 18-wheelers was also transported to the hospital while the other two were left uninjured.
KPRC 2′s Brittany Jeffers, who was at the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office all Thursday morning, said other law enforcement officers were hurting from the loss.
Rivette reportedly had been with the sheriff’s office for 18 years.