HOUSTON, Texas — A woman whose career was built on holding people accountable is now the one facing a felony charge.
Jennifer Bess Lowery, 58, a former U.S. attorney, was arrested Monday and charged in Harris County with felony failure to stop and render aid. The charge stems from a May 14 crash that left another driver injured — and a lot of unanswered questions.
What Happened That Night
The crash occurred around 8 p.m. at the intersection of Asbury Street and Memorial Drive.
Surveillance video obtained by investigators shows one vehicle T-boning another on Memorial Drive. Car parts were scattered across the roadway. The damaged vehicle was later traced back to Lowery — a blue Audi found parked on Sandman Street with missing front-end parts and significant damage.
The other driver, Gabriel Fonseca, had been on his way to Memorial Park for a run after church.
“All I remember is, out of the corner of my eye, I see a sedan coming, and I didn’t have any time to react,” Fonseca said. “I was just honking my horn, and it hit me right in the driver’s side.”
“I Had to Crawl Out”
The impact left Fonseca disoriented and unable to open his own door.
“The driver’s side door wouldn’t open, so I had to crawl through the passenger’s side,” he said. “I got out and was just holding my ear, trying to figure out what happened.”
He pulled into a nearby parking spot and called 911.
Fonseca said he looked around after the crash and saw no one. The driver who hit him was gone.
“Luckily, I didn’t die or didn’t bleed out or anything,” he said.
Less Than Three Minutes
Surveillance footage showed Lowery’s vehicle stopped at the scene for less than three minutes before leaving.
A witness told investigators they spotted a heavily damaged dark-colored sedan heading south on Birdsall Street shortly after. That same witness later saw a woman park the car on Sandman Street — the address where Lowery’s blue Audi was eventually found.
Court documents also note that Lowery’s husband, attorney Matthew Willis, was present when officers arrived and told them he would not allow his wife to provide a statement.
Her Attorney Says It Was a Misunderstanding
Lowery’s attorney, Doug Murphy, pushed back on the charge, saying Lowery did not realize Fonseca was still at the scene.
“She didn’t see the gentleman drive a couple of blocks down the road. She thought he had taken off,” Murphy said. “She had stopped. She called her husband, and her husband said to come to the house.”
Murphy says witnesses Lowery spoke with confirmed the other driver appeared to be gone.
“It’s a really unfortunate accident. Miss Lowery didn’t commit a crime,” he said.
“Her Job Was to Prosecute Criminals”
Fonseca isn’t buying the explanation.
“If I had hit somebody, I would have at least called the police, reported it, or made an effort to find who it was I hit — to make sure they’re not bleeding out or dead,” he said.
He also pointed to something that wasn’t lost on him.
“I just think it’s kind of ironic that her job was to prosecute criminals and hold people accountable,” Fonseca said.
Houston police forwarded the case to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, which accepted the felony charge. The case is expected to go before a grand jury.
Murphy said he hopes the full picture will be considered.
“Hopefully they’ll see all the facts and not just some cherry-picked anecdotes and make the right decision,” he said.
Do you think the explanation holds up, or should she be held fully accountable? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
