TEXAS — Newly released bodycam video shows the moment a speeding police officer drove his cruiser onto a sidewalk and killed a pedestrian in Houston.
The tragedy took place on December 4.
Video shows officer Orlando Hernandez behind the wheel with his partner officer Anthony Aranda, driving to assist fellow officers who were apprehending five individuals involved in a carjacking.
According to police, both officers are 25 years of age and have been with the department for less than two years.
Video shows Hernandez driving at speeds over 80mph down Reed Road, which was wet from a recent rain shower that Saturday afternoon, according to a crash report filed by Houston PD. Traffic on Reed Road is limited to 40 mph.
Video also shows the windshield wipers were activated and Hernandez driving with only one hand on the steering wheeling at times.
As Hernandez’s cruiser approached the corner of Reed Road and Scott Street, Hernandez sped toward the intersection and video shows the officer turn the steering wheel nearly 180 degrees to avoid colliding with other cars, according to a report from the Houston Chronicle.
Hernandez’s cruiser slid to the right, jumped the sidewalk before hitting 62-year-old Michael Wayne Jackson, and slamming into a dumpster bin in a parking lot nearby.
Jackson was on his way to the barber.
Wether prosecutors will pursue charges against Hernandez is unclear at this time.