Woman accused of causing I-45 fatal wrong-way crash was allegedly involved in drug conspiracy ring
The victim, identified as Steve Nartey, was heading home from work when he was killed.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A woman accused of causing a deadly, four-vehicle, wrong-way crash on I-45 North Freeway southbound near Crosstimbers Street on Thursday morning was awaiting trial on drug conspiracy charges in another county.
ABC13 learned the woman, 32-year-old Monica Valdez, is accused of driving on the wrong side of I-45 at a high rate of speed when she caused the horrific crash around 3:15 a.m. Valdez was driving a Ford F-150, and the driver of the Jeep, identified as Steve Nartey, died at the scene.
Nartey's family members tell us he was an engineer, who was driving home from work when he was killed.
Nartey was married and had three children.
Louis Gutierrez, a witness who heard the crash, said Valdez tried to get him to help her run away when he approached the crash scene.
"I thought the driver of the truck would be dead, too," he said. "But, she started yelling, 'Hey! Help me, help me, help me get out of here!' and I said, 'You just killed some people, man!'"
After the initial crash, HPD said another vehicle struck road debris, and a fourth vehicle hit the wrong-way driver. Sgt. Dionne Griffiths said all four vehicles involved "aren't drivable."
Based on preliminary investigation and calls from witnesses, police believe the suspect was traveling the wrong way for 10 to 15 minutes and may have entered the freeway near downtown.
After Valdez's arrest, ABC13 discovered she was out on bond and awaiting trial on 2023 charges in Brazos County. The prosecutor in Brazos County says Valdez was allegedly involved in a serious drug conspiracy ring in College Station. Her charge there is a second-degree felony, and the case is set for a jury trial this June.
Neither the prosecutor nor Valdez's defense attorney in Brazos County were aware of the deadly crash when ABC13 contacted them.
Houston police said they received numerous calls from drivers who saw the F-150 going in the wrong direction. Moments before the crash, it almost hit Geoffrey Smith, who told us about his narrow escape via Zoom.
"I see lights and something coming at me," he said. "She was in the very far left lane, and I was beside it. It looked like she was going extremely fast."
Brazos County prosecutors say they will be discussing the charges with their counterparts in Harris County to determine which of the two serious charges will move first in the criminal justice system.
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