HOUSTON --
Another tragedy is hitting too close to home for Station 8 of the Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department. Last year, one of its firefighters lost both legs in an accident. On Thursday, the daughter of the station's fire captain was killed in a crash the firefighters were sent to in northwest Harris County.
Investigators said Christa Rodriguez, 22, and her boyfriend were pulling into a fast-food restaurant in the 8500 block of North Highway 6 at West Road when they were broadsided by a drunk driver at about 2 a.m.
Thomas Christopher Boyd, 41, was charged with intoxication manslaughter.
Officials said he admitted that he had been drinking a lot before the crash occurred.
"He said he had drank some pitchers of beer with some other people and he said he also had some shots of liquor at a bar, and then went to another bar and had some more beers," said Sgt. S. Wolverton with the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office said the wreck occurred because Boyd was speeding in his silver pickup truck without headlights on.
The victims did not see his vehicle on the dark highway.
Rodriguez is the daughter of Capt. Mark Rodriguez, who is captain of Station 8. His station responded to the fatal accident.
"Members of the fire department did recognize her as being his daughter. They were able to contact him and he did come to the scene," Wolverton said.
Boyd was not injured in the wreck. He is being held on a $10,000 bond.
Harris County records showed no prior drunk driving charges for Boyd.
Investigators said Rodriguez's boyfriend also showed signs of impairment. A blood-alcohol test is pending because he was driving the other vehicle. He was taken to a hospital, where his condition was not released.
This is the second tragedy to hit Station 8.
Cy-Fair firefighter Thomas Shuster lost both his legs in an accident believed to have been caused by a driver who was high on drugs.
Copyright 2010 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
