Tragedy has struck a tight-knit Fort Bend County, Texas community. A mother and son recently lost their lives in an accident involving a man suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol. To make matters worse, a police officer was involved in the accident. The community has been rocked by this case of wrongful death.

The mother and her 12-year-old son were driving on Interstate 10, near Brookshire, when they needed to pull over to fix a flat tire. As the 48-year-old mother was changing the tire she and her car were struck by a truck. Soon, the woman's car erupted into flames. The horrific collision caused the deaths of both the mother and son.

The owner of the truck, who was a local cop, was a passenger in the vehicle as his friend drove. Both men were apparently intoxicated, which is considered to be the primary cause of the accident. Those close to the victims insist that the cop should have had better judgment than to allow his friend to drive. The driver is facing two counts of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

Emotion has flooded through the small Texas town. Those who knew the young boy remember him for his kindness and athletic ability. His football teammates are still trying to figure out how they will deal with their loss and remember their friend.

The family of the victims will have very difficult days ahead. Not only are they mourning the loss of their son, but they also lost a mother of four children. Both people had a lot to give to their family and community, but their lives were cut short due to the negligence of fellow motorists.

While a family friend was reflecting on the accident, he commented, "It was just a shock, still hard to believe."

Source: KTRK-TV, "Community remembers mom, son killed in crash," Jessica Willey, Jan. 21, 2012