The story has been updated to include additional information from the City of Deer Park.
Top officials from Deer Park and La Porte have confirmed that the SUV crash, which resulted in the massive pipeline explosion and fire near their border on September 16, was not an accidental incident. Furthermore, they have stated that the crash was not caused by the driver suffering from a medical event.
Deer Park’s mayor and La Porte’s emergency response coordinator made statements contradicting the beliefs of family members who think the driver had a seizure before the crash. However, they did not provide any supporting details or evidence to support their claims.
Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton, Jr., strongly believes that the incident should be treated as a criminal investigation rather than an accident. According to him, the nature of the act suggests intentionality, as one does not accidentally end up in the location where the car was found. He emphasized, “It wasn’t an accident.”
According to Johnny Morales, La Porte’s emergency management coordinator, the cause of the crash was not related to any medical issues. Morales, along with Mouton, did not disclose any additional information regarding the incident.
Mouton suggested reaching out to the police department for further updates on the case. He mentioned that they have already released the investigation report, indicating that the case has reached a resolution.
The investigation by the Deer Park Police Department is still ongoing, and a report has not yet been released, according to a department spokesperson.
According to Lieutenant Chris Brown of the Deer Park Police, the department is currently relying solely on factual evidence regarding the incident, rather than personal opinions. The investigation is still ongoing, as they are awaiting the completion of the medical examiner’s report. As of now, no conclusions have been drawn or determinations made by the department.
The family of Jonathan McEvoy, Sr., the 51-year-old man who tragically lost his life in the devastating fire, was taken aback by the unexpected remarks made by Deer Park’s mayor and La Porte’s emergency official. The incident occurred when the white Lexus SUV he was driving crashed through a chain-link fence and collided with the above-ground pipeline, shortly after leaving a nearby Walmart Supercenter parking lot.
“We were under the impression that he had a seizure,” shared Jonathan McEvoy, Jr., the man’s eldest son, during a quick phone call while he was working a night shift at a refinery on Tuesday. He mentioned that no one from Deer Park had informed him about the completion of the investigation into his father’s death.
In a recorded interview with the Houston Landing on Tuesday, Deer Park mayor Mouton provided an account of events that differed from the statement given by his spokesperson, Kaitlyn Bluejacket, in an email sent late Wednesday.
Bluejacket stated that the Mayor’s intention was to clarify that the car’s origin from the Walmart parking lot indicated that it was not simply a case of someone losing control of the vehicle. Instead, it was suspected to be either a result of a medical emergency or a deliberate criminal act. This is why the incident is being treated as a criminal investigation, in order to eliminate the possibility of any criminal negligence in this matter.
According to Delma McEvoy, she cannot fathom any situation in which her ex-husband, Jonathan McEvoy, Sr., would intentionally crash the car. Delma, who was married to Jonathan for nearly 28 years before their amicable divorce nearly two years ago, firmly believes that he would never engage in such behavior.
Delma McEvoy expressed disbelief in the idea that the person in question would engage in such behavior. According to McEvoy, this individual does not possess the capacity to commit such actions.
According to her, her ex-husband had been experiencing intermittent seizures lately, characterized by his body stiffening temporarily, followed by complete recovery with no recollection of the incident.
Jonathan McEvoy, Sr., was in the process of seeking treatment for seizures when he crashed the SUV into the pipeline, according to Delma McEvoy. She mentioned that bureaucratic issues related to workers compensation medical coverage had caused a delay in evaluating his condition. These issues arose after he had a seizure while working at his previous job for a package delivery company.
According to Delma McEvoy, the police were informed by family members about the seizures, the workers comp case, and the co-worker who witnessed the fall.
According to Brown, the Deer Park police spokesman, they have taken into account the possibility of a seizure being the cause of the crash. However, it is important to note that the investigation is still ongoing and no definitive conclusions have been reached yet.
Family members have been left with the impression that investigators have held the belief for a while that the collision was intentional.
According to Delma McEvoy, she believes that investigators have faced challenges in understanding how it would be feasible for her ex-husband’s SUV to leave the paved Walmart parking lot, cross an open grassy field, and ultimately collide with one of the few above-ground pipeline structures in the vicinity, if he were unconscious due to a seizure.
According to her, the investigators have been implying that they are questioning the likelihood of someone having a seizure and then specifically driving at high speed to hit that particular spot.
Delma McEvoy mentioned that investigators had questioned their family and close friends regarding any possible notes left behind by Jonathan McEvoy Sr. or if he had been involved in any disputes. They also inquired if he had received any payment to damage the pipeline.
No note was left behind, no arguments were made, and there was no indication of anything out of the ordinary in the days and hours leading up to the Monday morning crash on September 16th, she explained.
Delma McEvoy received a call from her ex-husband on the Saturday before the crash. It was their usual routine to catch up on their youngest son’s progress in college and discuss other topics, such as his recent work trip to Utah.
“He was his usual self, and we had a great time laughing and talking,” she shared. On Sunday, he went out to run errands with our eldest son.
According to Delma McEvoy, her ex-husband’s roommate has informed the family that Monday morning before the 10 a.m. crash was just as ordinary.
According to Delma McEvoy, her roommate had just woken up in the morning with the intention of going to Walmart to buy some shoes. The Walmart store was conveniently located only about five minutes away from their house in Deer Park. Although he had asked his roommate if she wanted to accompany him, she declined the offer as she wasn’t interested in shopping.
After borrowing his roommate’s white SUV, Jonathan McEvoy Sr. made his way to Walmart. Since he wasn’t accustomed to driving her car, he sent her a text to inform her of his safe arrival, according to Delma McEvoy.
Several witnesses in the parking lot that morning later reported seeing what appeared to be an elderly driver, potentially a woman, hunched over in the slow-moving SUV. To their surprise, the vehicle abruptly veered off Walmart’s paved parking lot and picked up speed as it traversed the grassy utility right of way. The SUV crashed through the chain-link fence encasing Energy Transfer Company’s natural gas liquids pipeline, leaving everyone bewildered.
The completion date of the Deer Park Police Department investigation remains uncertain. According to a spokesperson from the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, the medical examiner’s investigation is still pending, and there is currently no estimated timeframe for its completion.
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