Omar Alvarado Found Guilty in Katy Freeway Crash That Killed Deputy Katherine Hutson and Her Daughter
By The Katy News Staff
HOUSTON, Texas (July 24, 2026) — A Harris County jury has found Omar Jose Alvarado guilty of two counts of intoxication manslaughter in the 2024 Katy Freeway crash that killed Harris County Precinct 5 Deputy Constable Katherine Hutson and her 8-year-old daughter, Kacey.
The verdict, returned Friday, brings the criminal case to a pivotal point nearly two years after the mother and daughter died while Hutson was protecting a road construction crew along Interstate 10.
One count involved the death of Hutson, a peace officer. The second count involved the death of her daughter.
Alvarado, now 24, was convicted following a trial in Harris County. His sentencing had not been announced as of Friday evening, according to reporting from the courtroom.
A deadly early-morning crash on Interstate 10
The collision occurred at approximately 3:05 a.m. on November 22, 2024, in the westbound lanes of the Katy Freeway near the West Loop.
Hutson, 46, was working an extra traffic-control assignment for a construction operation. She was positioned in a white Chevrolet Impala in the far-right lane, providing a protective barrier between approaching traffic and the workers ahead.
According to the Houston Police Department, the vehicle’s emergency light-bar equipment was operating at the time.
Kacey was inside the car with her mother.
Investigators said Alvarado was driving a gray Mazda 3 westbound when he struck Hutson’s vehicle from behind. The force of the impact caused the Chevrolet to catch fire.
Hutson and Kacey were pronounced dead at the scene.
A 25-year-old woman riding in the Mazda was transported to a hospital with injuries that authorities described as non-life-threatening. Alvarado was also hospitalized before being booked into the Harris County Jail in December 2024.
HPD investigators subsequently determined that Alvarado was impaired, and prosecutors filed two intoxication-manslaughter charges against him in the 228th State District Court.
Evidence presented during the case
Court-related records reported after the crash indicated that Alvarado acknowledged consuming alcohol at a Friendsgiving gathering before driving.
Investigators alleged that people at the gathering attempted to discourage him from getting behind the wheel. Alvarado nevertheless left the gathering and headed onto the freeway.
The jury’s guilty verdict means prosecutors proved the charged offenses beyond a reasonable doubt. Alvarado is no longer merely accused of causing the fatal crash; he now stands convicted of both counts.
Deputy Hutson remembered for 18 years of service
Hutson served with the Harris County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office for approximately 18 years.
Following her death, the agency remembered her as a dedicated deputy whose work placed her in service to residents across western Harris County. Her death also underscored the dangers faced by law-enforcement officers and road crews working beside high-speed traffic during overnight construction.
The crash resonated throughout the Katy and greater west Houston communities, where the Katy Freeway is traveled daily by thousands of residents.
What began as a routine traffic-control assignment ended with the loss of a veteran deputy and her young daughter.
Sentencing is the next stage
Alvarado’s conviction does not conclude the court proceedings. The case will next move into sentencing, where the court will determine the punishment imposed for each conviction.
A sentencing date had not been publicly confirmed when this article was published.
The Katy News will update this report when the court announces Alvarado’s sentence or releases additional information about the case.
Sources include the Houston Police Department’s official investigation update
