HOUSTON CHRONICLE

An off-duty Cy-Fair volunteer firefighter was in critical condition Tuesday after he lost both legs when he was struck by a man authorities said was intoxicated and driving a stolen car.

The injury occurred about 3:30 p.m. Monday in the parking lot of an O'Reilly Auto Parts store in the 800 block of Aldine Bender near the Hardy Toll Road, said Harris County sheriff's Deputy Thomas Gilliland.


Gilliland said the driver of a stolen 2001 Mustang, Celio Velasquez, slammed into the firefighter, who worked at the store as a delivery driver, as he was unloading a pickup in the store parking lot.

The Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department Web site identified the firefighter as Thomas Shuster.

The crash severed Shuster's leg, Gilliland said. He was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital-Texas Medical Center. His other leg was amputated, authorities told KHOU-TV.

After the crash, Velasquez jumped from his car and ran for several blocks before witnesses chased him down and tackled him, then flagged down a passing sheriff's deputy who was headed to the scene, Gilliland said.

No other injuries were reported.

Velasquez, 23, is being held in the Harris County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail and has been charged with intoxication assault with a motor vehicle, according to county records. Gilliland said he failed a sobriety test.

Velasquez is scheduled to appear in court today. If convicted of the charge, he faces up to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

A woman and an infant were passengers in the Mustang, Gilliland said.

The car had been reported stolen Saturday, Gilliland said.

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June 3, 2009