Two women say a September crash involving Harris County Treasurer Carla Wyatt turned their lives upside down — and they want accountability.
On Sept. 18, Tina Uribe and Amanda Byford 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.”
Byford 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,” Byford said.
Byford 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,” Byford said. “I said, ma’am, you’re not going anywhere. We just called the cops.”
When police arrived and collected insurance information, Wyatt had none. Byford says the contrast was stark.
“He comes back and he goes, ‘Yep, you’re insured with Allstate,’” Byford said. “So now you know.”
Republican nominee for Harris County Treasurer Marc 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.
Uribe, a realtor who does not have health insurance, says she went to the emergency room the day of the crash with back injuries, a concussion and shoulder pain. She says she still experiences numbness in her side.
“My medical bills right now — that day — I think it’s right now $10,000,” Uribe said. “My insurance only covers my vehicle.”
Uribe says her previous attorney withdrew from her case after learning Wyatt had no insurance. She says she is now seeking new legal representation and is still out of pocket roughly $6,000 after her vehicle insurance payout.
“I want accountability,” Uribe said. “She didn’t have insurance. If I didn’t have insurance, I would be getting pounded with lawsuits.”
Byford echoed that sentiment.
“She owes everybody that was in that wreck, actually,” Byford said. “And she owes everybody an apology, because you just don’t ram somebody and just go about your way.”
Uribe says Wyatt approached her at a gas station after the crash and blamed her for the accident.
“She’s like, ‘It’s your fault,’” Uribe said. “I’m like, what do you mean it’s my fault? She said, ‘You were stopped on the freeway.’”
Uribe says she chose not to argue, knowing she had dashcam footage to prove otherwise.
Byford says she showed police the dashcam footage in slow motion at the scene. Neither victim says they have received any follow-up from police about the footage or any ongoing investigation.
Harris County Republican Party Chairman Cindy Siegel and Cowart used the press conference to draw a broader connection between Wyatt’s personal conduct and her fitness for office.
Cowart noted the crash occurred at noon — not at night — and raised the possibility that Harris County itself could face liability if Wyatt was traveling to an official government meeting at the time of the crash.
“That opens up a whole new can of worms,” Cowart said. “That’s why we have to be so cognizant of who we hire to represent us.”
Cowart also pushed back on Wyatt’s previous media statement that no one was injured in the crash.
“She’s lying about that,” Cowart said. “Her comment was, ‘Well, a baby didn’t go flying through the windshield.’ And I think that’s disgusting.”
Siegel acknowledged the political backdrop of the press conference, which comes during early voting, but said the victims’ stories needed to be heard regardless.
“This is about doing the right thing,” Siegel said.
A GoFundMe page has been established to help Uribe with her medical expenses.
