Missouri City police still investigating why man was in back of patrol cruiser at time of deadly crash

Pictured is a Missouri City Police Department vehicle.

A detective for the Missouri City Police Department said Wednesday it continues to investigate why a man was in the back seat of a patrol vehicle when a now-terminated officer responded to a robbery call last month and got into a wreck that killed a woman and her teenage son.

The 53-year-old man in the back seat of the patrol cruiser driven by Officer Blademir Viveros was found hours after the June 20 crash and transported to a hospital with serious injuries, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety, which is investigating the crash. Missouri City Police Chief Brandon Harris said during a news conference last week that department policy prohibits officers from responding to calls when people are in the back of their vehicles.

"As far as if he was under arrest or in custody, I do not know," Det. Michael Medina said Wednesday. "That's part of our internal investigation."

Medina said Viveros, 27, was terminated last week. Whether Viveros will face any criminal charges has yet to be determined, according to DPS, which said it will present its findings to the Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office for potential prosecution.

Medina said the man in the back of the patrol vehicle has not been charged with any crimes since the night of the crash.

DPS said in a news release that Viveros was driving over the posted speed limit and did not have his emergency lights activated when he crashed into a 2005 Toyota Corolla driven by 16-year-old Mason Stewart at about 8:45 p.m. June 20 on Cartwright Road in Missouri City. Both Stewart and his mother, 53-year-old Angela Stewart, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Mason Stewart was pulling out of a private drive and failed to yield the right-of-way to Viveros, DPS said.