First Baptist Academy mourns loss of employee killed by impaired driver
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston's First Baptist Academy is grieving the loss of their middle school administrative assistant, to the hands of an impaired driver.
Jennifer Searcy, 37, was a passenger in a black SUV driven by her mother Tina.
The two were at a stop light Saturday morning at FM 1960 and Highway 290, when deputies say they were hit by 32-year-old Jeremy Doucet.
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"One of the workmen, working on the road, said there were no brakes," said Senior Deputy Thomas Gilliland with the Harris County Sheriff's Office. "He didn't hear anything, all he heard was the explosion of the cars hitting."
Deputies say Doucet was impaired and likely speeding down the street before slamming into the mother and daughter, pushing their SUV into other cars.
"And it started a chain reaction of vehicles that went right into each other to the beginning of the light," said Gilliland.
Both mother and daughter were rushed to the hospital in critical condition, but Jennifer, who flatlined twice in the ambulance, died early Monday morning.
The church tells ABC13 that Jennifer was the middle school administrative assistant, but previously taught preschool for 10 years.
Many of the middle schoolers she saw daily are her former preschool students.
Her mother Tina has been with the school for 20 years and is currently the primary school administrative assistant.
Monday, prosecutors upgraded the charges against Doucet to include intoxication manslaughter and failure to stop and render aid involving death.
Investigators say Doucet got out of his Mercedes, which landed upside-down, and tried to run away at the scene.
"He was caught by deputies and a wrecker at a Texas Roadhouse," Gilliland said.
Doucet has also admitted to deputies he was smoking narcotics before getting into his car. Lab work on his blood tests are still pending.
Houston's First Baptist community is now rallying to support the Searcy family.
Tina remains in the hospital with a severe neck injury.
Deputies say two other people injured in the chain-reaction pile up are expected to be okay.
