HOUSTON – Harris County Treasurer Dr. Carla Wyatt was cited after Houston police say she caused a four-vehicle crash on the North Freeway last week, according to a crash report obtained by our Community News Partner Grizzy’s Hood News and KPRC.
The Sept. 18 crash comes as Wyatt continues to face a pending driving while intoxicated charge in Galveston County stemming from her May arrest in Texas City.
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According to the Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report, the four-vehicle collision happened shortly after noon in the 6500 block of the North Freeway, north of Tidwell Road.
Investigators said Wyatt was driving a black 2005 Nissan Xterra northbound in the far-left lane behind another vehicle.
According to the investigator’s narrative, Wyatt “failed to control speed” and struck the back of that vehicle.
The impact caused the second driver to move into the adjacent lane, according to the report. Police said Wyatt then continued north and struck the back of a third vehicle, pushing that vehicle into a fourth.
The report lists six people involved in the crash and says none were injured.
Wyatt was issued a citation for failure to control speed.
The report also indicates no alcohol or drug specimen was collected from Wyatt. There is no allegation in the crash report that alcohol or impairment contributed to the collision.
We have reached out to Wyatt and her attorney for comment and will update this article when they get back.
Wyatt currently facing DWI charge in Galveston County
The crash happened roughly four months after Wyatt was arrested on a DWI charge in Texas City.
As KPRC 2 previously reported, a Texas City police officer responded to Highway 3 around 1:30 a.m. on May 9 after receiving a report of a vehicle stopped in the left lane.
According to the probable cause affidavit obtained by KPRC 2, the officer found Wyatt in the driver’s seat of a running Toyota 4Runner and wrote that she appeared to be asleep.
When the officer woke Wyatt and asked where she was, the affidavit says Wyatt initially responded that she was “in heaven.” She later told the officer she was in Houston and was headed to Galveston for a conference.
The officer wrote that Wyatt initially said she had consumed one glass of wine at home and later said she had two. According to the affidavit, the officer reported smelling alcohol and observing Wyatt swaying and other alleged signs of intoxication.
Wyatt was arrested and charged with DWI. KPRC 2 previously reported that she was released on a $3,000 bond. The case remains pending.
Wyatt’s attorney has previously said they looked forward to reviewing the evidence and investigating the basis for the arrest.
Previous DWI case dismissed after pretrial diversion
The Galveston County case is Wyatt’s second DWI case.
KPRC 2 previously obtained records showing Wyatt was arrested for DWI in Houston in December 2023.
According to the HPD report from that case, officers found Wyatt in the driver’s seat of a vehicle stopped in the roadway on Scott Street near Old Spanish Trail. A witness told police Wyatt appeared to be going in and out of consciousness.
Officers reported that Wyatt had slurred speech, balance issues and smelled of alcohol. According to the police report, breath samples registered between .365 and .367, more than four times Texas’ legal limit of .08.
That DWI charge was ultimately dismissed after Wyatt completed a pretrial diversion program.
Other legal and political scrutiny
Wyatt, who was elected Harris County Treasurer in 2022, was also arrested in December 2025 on a burglary of a motor vehicle charge.
Police accused Wyatt of entering another person’s vehicle outside a business on Washington Avenue. Her attorney, Christopher Downey, said at the time that Wyatt’s behavior was “unusual” but maintained that she did not intend to commit theft.
A Harris County grand jury later no-billed the case, declining to indict Wyatt.
Earlier this year, Harris County Commissioners Court also unanimously moved some financial responsibilities out of the Treasurer’s Office. Commissioners have discussed pursuing the elimination of the elected office through the constitutional amendment process.
In August, Wyatt asked for her $139,547 salary to be increased to $305,000, arguing that she should be compensated similarly to other countywide elected officials. A citizen salary grievance committee later recommended a smaller increase to $181,411, but Commissioners Court rejected that recommendation earlier this month.
Wyatt is seeking reelection as Harris County Treasurer in the Nov. 3 election.
