Authorities held Dee Ann Haney after the crash on northbound I-45 near the Galveston Causeway at 12:55 a.m. Monday.
Law enforcement at the scene said two men were standing outside of a stopped black truck when a woman in another pickup hit them. The men died from the crash.
Police said the men and another person were trying to secure items in the bed of the truck when the crash happened. Authorities identified the men killed as Van Duoc Le, 59, and his son Phue Hong Le, 33.
The woman in the other truck was taken to a nearby hospital and then booked into Galveston County Jail. Authorities said the driver, who was identified as 54-year-old Haney, is being charged with two counts of intoxication manslaughter in connection with the crash.
In a probable cause affidavit, a trooper told investigators that Haney was under the influence of marijuana and that she admitted to smoking pot before the crash. Troopers determined marijuana intoxication after a field sobriety test.
A magistrate judge set Haney's bond at $100,000. As part of the conditions, Haney will have to install a breathalyzer in her vehicle. Additionally, she is not allowed into any place that serves primarily alcohol.
Texas City Mayor Matthew Doyle confirmed to Eyewitness News that Haney is a sitting commissioner-at-large for the city. The mayor is out of the country and did not immediately comment on the crash.
Haney is also an employee of Texas A&M University at Galveston, working as a lab safety and training coordinator.
The university released a statement following the crash:
"We learned this morning that an employee of Texas A&M University at Galveston, Dee Ann Haney, was involved in a vehicle accident last night that resulted in two deaths. Our deepest condolences go to the families of those who lost their lives."
Northbound Gulf Freeway was shut down heading out of the island for hours during the investigation.
Most of the drunk or drug-related accidents occur in the early a.m. hours, like this one. Look at that stoner face!
GALVESTON, Texas – A Texas City Commissioner has been charged with intoxication manslaughter in an auto-pedestrian accident that left a father and son dead overnight.
According to the Galveston Police Department, Dee Ann Haney, 54, has been charged with two counts of intoxication manslaughter in fatal accident that happened just after midnight Monday along Interstate 45 near Galveston Causeway.
When police arrived at the scene of the accident, they found a black Toyota Tacoma pulled over to the right shoulder. They then found the two victims, a 59-year-old Van Duoc Le and his 33-year-old son Phue Hong Le, in a grassy area along the right shoulder of the freeway.
The father's son-in-law told police that the Tacoma was pulled over to the right shoulder of the roadway, and the father and son were standing along the driver’s side of the vehicle.
The son-in-law was attempting to secure items in the bed of the truck, when the white Ford F-150 driven by Haney was traveling northbound in the far right lane.
Police said the F-150 veered over to the shoulder and struck the father and son.
Haney was detained at the scene on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Police said that after a battery of tests conducted by both GPD and Texas DPS Troopers, Haney was arrested.
Court documents also state that she admitted to smoking marijuana before the crash happened.
Haney was released on bonds totaling to $100,000, police said.
The judge said that she must install a Breathalyzer in her car that requires her to blow into it before the vehicle is allowed the start. She is also not allowed to any place which has a primary purpose of selling alcohol like a bar.
Haney has holds an at-large seat on the Texas City Commission. She also serves as the safety coordinator providing oversight for Lab Safety and Student/Employee Safety Training at Texas A&M University at Galveston.
The university released the following statement late Monday morning:
“We learned this morning an employee of Texas A&M at Galveston, Dee Ann Haney, was involved in a vehicle accident last night that resulted in two deaths. Our deepest condolences go to the families of those who lost their lives.”Later in the morning, the university said that Haney had been suspended for five days which rolls over into 30 if the issue is not resolved. They added it was standard practice.