grand jury indicts wrong way driver
Thursday, the Montgomery County Grand Jury indicted Edward Blackwell on 3 counts of intoxicated manslaughter.
Sunday morning, July 1, 2012 just after 1:30 am a Montgomery County Dispatcher with a sense of urgency in her voice reported a vehicle traveling north in the southbound lanes of I –45 approaching Research. Shenandoah Officers jumped the median and stopped all traffic on I-45 southbound with the intention of taking the vehicle as it got to them. But within seconds a Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputy called for an ambulance and fire equipment at I-45 just north of Woodlands Parkway. He reported a Chevrolet Impala struck a Pontiac G6 head on.
South Montgomery County Fire Department quickly arrived on the scene and cut the driver of the Chevrolet out. MCHD rushed him to Hermann Hospital Woodlands in critical condition. Later Hermann transferred the driver identified as Edward Blackwell, 43, of Montgomery. It was also determined he did have an elevated alcohol level in his blood.
The others were not able to be saved.
Dominique Hobbs, 27, of Grand Prarie was the passenger in the Pontiac G6. He was pronounced dead on the scene by Justice of the Peace Matt Masden.
The female driver in the Pontiac was also pronounced dead on the scene was identified as Anis Atkins, of Houston.
The male passenger in the Chevrolet , Stephen Isbell, 43, of The Woodlands was pronounced dead on the scene. All three were transported by Eickenhorst Funeral Directors to the Montgomery County Forensic Center for Autopsy.
According to witnesses the Chevrolet Impala was southbound on the I-45 feeder. When the driver approached the entrance ramp just before Woodlands Parkway he entered the freeway, stopped and made a u-turn on the main lanes of the freeway and drove north in the southbound lanes.
I-45 remained closed for almost 6 hours as the crash was investigated by DPS and The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.
Blackwell later checked out of the hospital and landed in a rehab hospital in San Antonio. The District Attorney’s Office put him on the Most Wanted list for several weeks.
The rehab center where he was staying released him to his wife for a visitation and Blackwell, without her consent took her vehicle. A San Antonio police officer in the area spotted Blackwell and when he confronted him thought he was intoxicated. Unknown to the officer his medical condition he was taken into custody on public intoxication.
Blackwell had no money or identification on his person at the time and the San Antonio Police did not find an open warrant on him so he was later released from custody.
On January 9, 2013 he was arrested at the rehab center on the 3 Montgomery County warrants.
Blackwell who suffers multiple medical issues was returned to Montgomery County and remains in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300,000 bond.
On January 24, Judge Lisa Michalk denied a bond reduction request.
Blackwell’s crash happened just 2 days after another wrong way crash killed two at Research Forest.
Blackwell has severe brain damage. He needs to be in a nursing facility. This article implies that this guy stole his wife’s vehicle maliciously in order to escape. He has the mental capacity of a small child from what I understand. He is clueless.
I think we can all agree that he needs to be institutionalized for his crime, and what he did deserves punishment. But at this point, you are pretty much putting a mentally retarded person in jail who has no clue of what has happened, or why he is where he is.
This whole situation is tragic. This guy made a horrible decision that evening that cost the lives of 3 really great people. From what I understand, Blackwell himself was a really good person who spent his whole adult life serving the country and raising a family. This whole situation should make us all very aware that one STUPID decision can wipe out an entire lifetime of trying to do the right thing. Now 3 good people are dead and another person’s life is over regardless of where he is.
I want to be there when this loser piece of trash is sentenced… hell be the person to fry him if I could.. nothing would satisfy me more then to see him die.. you ruined so many familys… DIE loser
He has the mental capacity of a small child from what I understand
A child? Well cry us a creeking river. He sure managed a lot of high level thinking using his “crib cranium” to avoid capture for so long unless he was assisted in hiding by his family who, and if so, should be charged with abiding, abedding, and harboring a fugitive.
Blackwell himself was a really good person who spent his whole adult life serving the country and raising a family.
Same thing could be said of Pol Pot. Except for the executions and deaths in his forced labor camps which resulted in Cambodias population declining 25 percent during his reign, I’m sure he was a swell guy and a good neighbor that would bring your newspaper in out of the rain and put it on your porch.
Please tell us you don’t live on the same planet we normal folk do.
If he is clueless, then remove him from the gene pool permanently.
winterwarrior74 and localdrifter:
This man did make a mistake which it sounds like neither of you have ever done!Yes,horrible mistake, but He fought for this country so IDIOTS like you could voice your public ignorance.So sorry you both feel the need to crucify
Wow you guys. I understand your anger. Trust me, I get it. Winter Warrior, did you know this guy?
He fought for this country
BFD. Doesn’t give him carte blanche to wipe out innocents.
A mistake is picking up a gallon of 2% instead of whole milk and is hardly ever fatal. This toilet pickle CHOSE to get in a vehicle, impaired or not, and drive. I say flush and get rid of this POS once and for all. Then fill the commode with all the people making excuses for this slug and flush them away next.
You are an idiot local drifter. Your comments mean very little. Typical internet hipocrital tough guy.
Might be an idiot, yes, but kill anyones, letalone 3 in one fell swoop? By accident? Nope. Never by accident.
Hey there Local Drifter, I some what appreciate your opinion. But to compare this guy to Pol Pot is a disrespectful comment to all marines and service men and women who have served the USA. I get you love to troll this site, but in this case you are out of line. But this is the grand ole USA and you are welcomed to your opinion. Short sited, but you are allowed to profess it. And I think the guys that run it have a hard on for you. Cool.
Fact remains, this guy more than likely has given more of himself to this country and society than you before this STUPiD decision to drink and drive. His life is over because of it.
You are just a sad little internet tool that dwells on others misfortune.
Weak. Haha, just weak. Tell all of your fans what you do and have done and what you do for a living?
Anyways, God bless you and all who have been crushed by this guy’s dumb decision.
Keep trollin!
I’m glad I’ll have your undying and loyal support if I ever hop the curb and wipe out your twin daughters minding their lemonade stand because I was too busy admiring my handsomeness in the mirror to pay attention to my driving environment.
I’ll expect universal dispensation to my bad choice because I, too, served my country proudly and devotedly and, if the twins I smeared across the pavement could raise their voices from the grave, I’m sure they’d perform a duet singing forgiveness of my selfish actions. I’d walk the negligent manslaughter charge for sure if I could deadlock the jury with just one juror patterned after you. (This is the point where I stand and salute the flag smartly.)