Drunk driver slams into cop ‘supposed to be flying home’ on Christmas Eve, Texas police say

Instead of heading back home for the holidays with his family, an officer with the Houston Police Department is clinging to his life.

Officers John Daily and Alonzo Reid were driving in a police cruiser early Monday morning when police say a drunk driver, whom authorities have not yet identified, slammed into their vehicle and caused a fiery crash, according to Click2Houston.

Around 50 percent of Daily’s body is burned, police say, while Reid “suffered burns to his legs and other parts of his body but is expected to make a full recovery,” Click2Houston reported.

But Daily, who had to be pulled out of the blazing car by Reid and another passerby, is still fighting to stay alive, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo told The Houston Chronicle.

Daily “is supposed to be flying home to see his mother and father in California ... but instead of going to see his family they’re going to come here because they got a call nobody should get,” Acevedo in a briefing, according to The Houston Chronicle. “And that’s that their 25-year-old vibrant son who is just starting his career with the Houston Police Department is in here fighting for his life.”

Security footage obtained by KTRK shows the moment the car runs into the police cruiser.

In the background of the video, the police cruiser is seen driving toward the left side of the screen with its lights flaring. Then, the video shows, the alleged drunk driver is seen making a collision with the police officers’ car, “which flipped multiple times and caught on fire,” KTRK reported.

Despite the tragic situation, Acevedo said the quick actions of Reid and the Good Samaritan may have saved Daily’s life, The Houston Chronicle reported.

“We could be talking about a dead officer right now,” he said, according to the outlet.

Daily is set for surgery this Christmas Eve, police say, and the alleged drunk driver was arrested after running away from the crash, KENS5 reported.

This story was originally published December 24, 2018 at 11:02 AM with the headline "Drunk driver slams into cop ‘supposed to be flying home’ on Christmas Eve, Texas police say."