Humble homeowner estimates $3,000 in fence damage from officer crash

Alfonso Pineda estimates the damage to his Humble-area fence at $3,000. The destruction occurred around 1:50 a.m. Sunday when a pickup truck crashed into the property line. Pineda and his wife were sleeping on the other side of the wall when the impact woke the family. Pineda said the truck missed them by a few feet.

Harris County detention officer Gerardo Segundo, 21, faces a misdemeanor driving while intoxicated charge. He has served with the Harris County Sheriff's Office for three years. The sheriff's office placed Segundo on administrative leave pending his court proceedings. Surveillance footage recorded blinding headlights and an engine revving before the collision.

Pineda told Eyewitness News that the noise grew loud before the crash. "It was getting really close, really loud. When the tire kept spinning, like 30 seconds later we heard boom, the biggest boom we could have heard," Pineda said. By the time he exited his home, the driver had departed. A truck bumper remained at the scene along with scattered debris.

Deputies from the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office tracked liquid from the impact site to a residence a few streets away. Court records indicate officers located the damaged pickup there and returned it to the crash scene to match the left-behind parts. Pineda, who did not know the driver was a neighbor or a detention officer, said the driver likely believed he could escape.

Segundo refused a field sobriety test. Court records note bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and an odor of alcohol. Prosecutors initially alleged he intentionally damaged the fence. During a probable cause hearing, a magistrate dismissed the criminal mischief charge. The magistrate stated prosecutors did not provide sufficient evidence for the separate allegation.

Pieces of the vehicle remained outside Pineda's home more than a day after the incident. No one answered at Segundo's home on Monday. Online records do not list an attorney of record for the officer. Pineda said he is grateful the truck did not hit the spot where he and his wife were sleeping.

The sheriff's office confirmed Segundo's leave status. Pineda said it would have been better for the officer to stay at the scene. The criminal mischief dismissal leaves the DWI charge as the primary legal matter.