Deputy killed while helping at crash scene becomes latest victim on dangerous stretch of I-45

OAK RIDGE NORTH, Texas – A 24-year-old Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office deputy is being remembered for her dedication to public service after she was struck and killed while directing traffic along Interstate 45 early Sunday morning.

Deputy Erika Serrato, a six-year veteran of the sheriff’s office who had recently become a patrol deputy, was killed while assisting at the scene of an earlier DWI crash on the northbound lanes of I-45 near The Woodlands Parkway after investigators say a heavy-duty truck pulling a trailer struck her.

OUR FIRST REPORT: Montgomery County deputy killed by vehicle on I-45 North near The Woodlands, officials say

Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle said Serrato was providing traffic control while investigators worked another crash when a commercial motor vehicle struck her.

“This is heartbreaking to see someone who’s been with our agency for about six years now,” Doolittle said. “She was someone committed to public service since she was 18 years old.”

According to the sheriff, Serrato began her career as a detention officer before graduating to patrol about six months ago. She was 24 years old and would have celebrated her 25th birthday next month.

“She was smiling, she was happy, and she was doing something that she loved to do in Montgomery County and in this community,” Doolittle said. “To see her life cut short in a tragic incident like this, I really don’t have words.”

The sheriff said another deputy was also injured by debris during the crash and is expected to recover.

The Texas Department of Public Safety is leading the investigation.

Authorities described the scene as involving multiple crashes and multiple vehicles, making it a complex investigation that is still unfolding.

DPS said the northbound lanes of I-45 remained closed for several hours while state crash investigators reconstructed what happened.

Investigators have not said whether the commercial truck driver will face charges.

A highway long plagued by deadly crashes

Serrato’s death happened along a stretch of I-45 that transportation officials have spent years identifying as one of the region’s most dangerous corridors.

According to Texas Department of Transportation crash data, there were 41 fatal crashes in Montgomery County on I-45 between 2022 and 2025.

In neighboring Harris County, the interstate saw 189 fatal crashes during that same four-year period, underscoring the dangers of one of the region’s busiest highways.

A 2015 South County Mobility Plan commissioned by the Houston-Galveston Area Council found I-45 between SH 242 and the Hardy Toll Road was already severely congested and recommended additional north-south routes, rebuilt interchanges and new overpasses to improve safety and relieve traffic. The report also called the corridor’s outdated infrastructure a growing concern as development continued.

The mobility plan remains part of ongoing discussions as local leaders continue exploring improvements along the corridor.

‘Help keep us safe while we’re keeping you safe’

Doolittle said deputies are struggling with the loss of one of their own while continuing to serve the community.

“They’re completely heartbroken,” he said. “They’re devastated. To be standing beside a co-worker who’s killed next to you is something that none of us should have to go through.”

He asked drivers to remember the dangers first responders face every day on Texas roadways.

“Law enforcement is a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week responsibility,” Doolittle said. “Please keep our officers in your prayers and just look out when you’re driving. Be responsible and help keep us safe while we’re keeping you safe.”

Serrato leaves behind her parents and two sisters. Doolittle said the sheriff’s office is asking the public to give the family privacy as they grieve.

“Our deputies cared deeply about her,” he said. “She was a good person. She was a public servant who loved our community.”