Mother and son killed in wrong-way crash on I-45 downtown were heading home from softball tournament
This incident is part of a troubling trend in Texas, which leads the nation in wrong-way fatality crashes, according to AAA.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A devastating crash involving a suspected drunk driver has left a Houston-area family shattered.
Brittany Munive, 33, and her 9-year-old son, DJ, were killed early Monday morning when a wrong-way driver collided with their vehicle on I-45 near Allen Parkway. Brittany's husband, Dario Munive, and their 10-year-old daughter, Mila, remain hospitalized with critical injuries, according to Houston police.
The family was returning home from a weekend softball tournament in Dallas, where Mila's team won the championship. The couple also have two older daughters who did not make the trip.
In a statement to Eyewitness News, the family said, "We are standing united as a family during this senseless tragedy."
According to HPD, the suspected drunk driver, 46-year-old Michael Anthony Arguijo, was behind the wheel of a Ford F-150 and driving the wrong way on the freeway around 12:45 a.m. Monday when he struck the Munive family's vehicle head-on. The impact caused their car to collide with a third vehicle. Authorities report that Arguijo's blood alcohol content was 0.17, more than twice the legal limit.
The Harris County District Attorney's Office told ABC13 they are investigating where Arguijo may have been served alcohol before the crash. He now faces two counts of intoxication manslaughter and court records indicate this is not his first drunk driving-related offense.
In 2020, Arguijo was charged with a misdemeanor DWI, which court records show, was later dismissed after he completed a pre-trial intervention program. His attorney confirmed he is still in the hospital and declined to comment further.
This incident is part of a troubling trend in Texas, which leads the nation in wrong-way fatality crashes, according to the latest statistics from AAA.
In the Houston area, five people have been killed in four wrong-way collisions just since Feb. 6. The Harris County Sheriff's Office recently released dashcam footage showing a deputy intercepting a wrong-way driver last month before anyone was harmed.
The tragedy has deeply affected the close-knit softball community. On social media, an outpouring of support has flooded Mila's softball team page, with hundreds sending prayers and expressing sorrow for the loss of a mother and son, as Mila and her father fight to recover.
"We are standing united as a family during this senseless tragedy and are appreciative of the community's outpouring of prayers and support," said Katherine Thomas, sister of Brittany Munive, in a statement. "There will be a difficult road ahead, but we will prevail. We want to thank each and every person who has reached out or made a donation and helped during this difficult time."
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