Off-Duty HPD Officer Arrested for Fatal Crash in Fort Bend County

RICHMOND, TX — The off duty HPD officer who was involved in a fatal head on collision on the morning of Friday, Aug. 12, was arrested and is in custody at the Fort Bend County Jail on a $100,000 bond.

James Combs, 33, from Richmond, is facing a charge of intoxicated manslaughter for the death of Brain Manning, 36, also from Richmond.

Early on the morning of Aug. 12, Combs was driving west on Beechnut Street between F.M. 1464 and Westmoor Drive, about two miles south of George Bush High School in the Mission Bend area.

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At around 6:30 a.m., Combs' Tahoe drifted across the double yellow, dividing line and plowed into Manning's Corvette head on. Manning died at the scene.

Fort Bend County Sheriff's Deputies reportedly smelled alcohol on Combs and asked him to take a field sobriety test. When Combs refused the deputies got a warrant for a blood draw.

Combs was taken to Memorial Hermann — Katy for the blood work and for treatment of his injuries. The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office got the results of the blood test back on Tuesday, Aug. 16.

When the test was applied at the hospital, Combs had a BAC of 0.17, or about twice the legal limit.