Waller Co. DA Elton Mathis slams police over teen's crash with cyclists

WALLER COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- The Waller Police Department still has yet to address the mounting criticism over their handling of a horrible crash from late September.

Eyewitness News has reached out for comment, but those requests have gone unanswered.

The issue at hand is a collision that occurred Sept. 25 on Business 290 between a teenage driver in a truck and six cyclists. A witness said the teenager was "rolling coal" and "blowing exhaust at the cyclists," moments before he slammed into them.

SEE RELATED STORY: Investigation into crash between teen, cyclists in Waller Co. 'not handled appropriately,' DA says

On Tuesday, ABC13 received clarification from District Attorney Elton Mathis. He said a 16-year-old boy was behind the wheel while a 17-year-old young man was riding in the passenger seat.

Mathis declined an on-camera interview request from ABC13. He said he wants the facts of the case to play out in a courtroom.

Mathis did go on social media Monday, where he seemed to echo the cyclists' initial concerns that Waller PD brushed off the investigation.

"This case was not handled appropriately by the investigating agency. PERIOD. Despite being encouraged by the Texas Department of Public Safety to treat the scene as a crime scene and to contact the D.A.'s Office for advice on how to proceed, the investigating agency chose not to do so," Mathis wrote.

He said there are some connections between the driver and Waller city officials. He said so far, there's no evidence to suggest officials directed the officer's response.

"All sides of this matter (the juvenile, the adult passenger, their families, the victims and their friends and families) can be assured that this case is not being swept away as the days pass, and attorneys for both boys are being cooperative at this time," wrote Mathis. "This will not be a lynching and likewise, it will not be a case of small county politics making problems just go away."

Mathis previously told ABC13 that once his office concluded this investigation, this matter will be presented to a grand jury, possibly as early as October or next month. The grand jury could make the decision to indict the teenager for a crime including aggravated assault charges.

SEE MORE: Teen intended to 'smoke' cyclists, but plowed into them instead

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