Cop Charged With DWI Claims He Was Playing On Cell Phone

TEXAS CITY, TX — An off-duty Texas City Police Officer who was charged with driving while intoxicated after hitting a pickup truck head-on, is now saying he was looking at his cell phone at the time of the crash.

Adan Hernandez was off-duty and driving his Ford pickup northbound of State Highway 146, when he hit a Ford Ranger pickup that was waiting to turn at Highway 146 and FM 1765 shortly after 5:30 a.m. on Jan. 2.

Neither he nor the driver of the Ford Ranger were hurt in the crash, but Hernandez appeared intoxicated to responding officers who took him into custody.

READ: Texas City Cop Faces DWI Charge After Head-On Crash

Witnesses to the crash told investigators that Hernandez appeared to be asleep at the wheel at the time of the crash, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Hernandez refused to take a field sobriety test or provide a breath test to officers, but officials later obtained a blood sample from Hernandez.

The Texas City Police released a statement about the accident, but have not commented on the extent of any punishment.

This is the second incident in a year involving a Texas City Police Officer.

READ: Ex-Texas City Cop Indicted On Felony Theft Charge

In September, Linnard Crouch was indicted by a Galveston County grand jury on felony theft charges after he was accused of stealing $2,400 from 74-year old James Mabe, as he was dying in the front seat of his vehicle in December 2016.

Crouch, 41, resigned from the department in January 2017 and is awaiting trial.

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