Two women say a September crash involving Harris County Treasurer Carla Wyatt turned their lives upside down - and they want accountability.

The accident


On Sept. 18, Tina Uribe and Amanda Beifert say they were both struck by Wyatt's vehicle on Interstate 45 in what witnesses and dashcam footage described as a multi-car chain-reaction crash. A third driver was also involved but chose not to pursue the matter further.

Uribe says she saw Wyatt's vehicle approaching fast in her rearview mirror before impact.

 She ran me,  Uribe said.  I looked and I'm like, oh my gosh, what's going on? I was in shock. 

Uribe says she initially feared Wyatt had a medical emergency and pulled over to check on her.

 She's like, you need to move - I'm running late to a meeting,  Uribe said.  Wait a minute, what are you talking about? You just caused an accident. You hit two other vehicles and then myself. 

Beifert says she blocked Wyatt's vehicle to prevent her from leaving the scene.

 I'm not gonna let this person go. I'm going to block her in,  Beifert said.

Beifert says when she approached Wyatt's window, Wyatt appeared confused and was attempting to stuff her deployed airbag back into the steering wheel column.

 She said, no, I need to go,  Beifert said.  I said, ma'am, you're not going anywhere. We just called the cops. 

No insurance

When police arrived and collected insurance information, Wyatt had none. Beifert says the contrast was stark.

 He comes back and he goes,  Yep, you're insured with Allstate,'  Beifert said.  So now you know. 

Republican nominee for Harris County Treasurer Mark Cowart confirmed at a Tuesday press conference that Wyatt's insurance had lapsed since July and that she had been driving uninsured - a criminal violation under Texas law.

 This is basic for all of us,  Cowart said.  We all have car insurance. It's Texas law. 

Wyatt received a citation from police following the crash. No arrests were made at the scene.

Injuries, bills mount

Uribe, a realtor who does not have health insurance, says she went to the emergency room the day of the crash wi
#click2houston   #crimewatchhouston