Driver Charged With Intoxication Manslaughter After Wrong-Way IH-45 Crash That Killed Woman, 59, in Conroe

Published by Dunk Law Firm

Published:

Branded Dunk Law Firm news card about the October 25, 2026, wrong-way crash on IH-45 near the Hwy 105 exit in Conroe, Texas, that killed a 59-year-old woman, noting a driver was charged with intoxication manslaughter, with the phone number 888-551-3865. The background is an AI-generated editorial illustration, not the actual crash scene: an empty highway at night under streetlights.

CONROE, Texas — A 20-year-old man has been charged with intoxication manslaughter in the October 25, 2026, wrong-way crash on IH-45 in Conroe that killed Emelia Muniz, 59, according to a Conroe Police Department release published November 10.

Police say a caller reported a wrong-way driver going southbound in the northbound lanes of IH-45 at about 4:40 a.m. that Sunday. A second caller said the dark pickup was last seen at Gladstell at about 4:41 a.m., and another caller said it was going about 100 mph. Two minutes later, dispatchers began receiving calls about a major crash near the Hwy 105 exit. Preliminary findings say a dark blue Nissan Titan traveling southbound in the northbound main lanes of the 1000 block of S. IH-45 North collided head-on with a northbound Honda CR-V. Ms. Muniz, the SUV's driver, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The pickup's driver, identified by police as Kaden Patrick Lamoreau, 20, was seriously injured and taken to a hospital. Police say the department's Traffic Reconstruction Unit and the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office Vehicular Crimes Unit secured an arrest warrant, and that after his release from the hospital he surrendered at the Montgomery County Jail on the evening of November 9 on the warrant for intoxication manslaughter, a second-degree felony. ABC13 reported the arrest the same day. A criminal charge is an accusation, not a conviction, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

We extend our sympathy to Ms. Muniz's family and to everyone who loved her.

Key Facts

  • Location: Northbound main lanes of IH-45, 1000 block of S. IH-45 North, near the Hwy 105 exit, Conroe (Conroe PD)
  • Date and time: Sunday, October 25, 2026; first wrong-way call about 4:40 a.m., crash calls began about two minutes later (Conroe PD)
  • Vehicles: Dark blue Nissan Titan pickup traveling southbound in the northbound lanes; northbound Honda CR-V (Conroe PD)
  • Death: Emelia Muniz, 59, the SUV's driver, pronounced dead at the scene (Conroe PD)
  • Charge: Kaden Patrick Lamoreau, 20, surrendered Nov. 9 on an intoxication manslaughter warrant, a second-degree felony (Conroe PD). A charge is not a conviction.
  • Investigation: Conroe PD Traffic Reconstruction Unit with the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office Vehicular Crimes Unit

Sources checked as of November 10, 2026, 3:08 p.m. CST. This line is not the article's publication date.

Timeline of Official Statements and Reporting

  • Oct. 25, about 4:40 a.m.: First 911 call about a wrong-way driver on IH-45 (Conroe PD).
  • About 4:41 a.m.: Caller reports the pickup last seen at Gladstell; another reports about 100 mph (Conroe PD).
  • Two minutes later: Multiple calls about a major crash near the Hwy 105 exit (Conroe PD).
  • Earlier update: Police said the driver was seriously injured and that they were working with the DA's Vehicular Crimes Unit on charges (Conroe PD).
  • Nov. 9, evening: The driver surrenders at the Montgomery County Jail on the warrant (Conroe PD).
  • Nov. 10: Conroe PD releases the update; ABC13 reports the arrest.

What Makes This Crash Different

This crash began as a series of 911 calls. Police say callers reported a pickup going the wrong way on IH-45, then its location and estimated speed, all within minutes before the collision. Those calls, the times they were received and what dispatchers and officers did with them are part of the record that can explain what happened on the freeway that morning.

It is also a case where a criminal charge came more than two weeks after the crash, once the driver left the hospital. The criminal case and any civil claim by Ms. Muniz's family are separate. The criminal case is about whether the State can prove a crime; a civil wrongful death claim is about compensation for the family, uses a different standard of proof and does not wait for the criminal case to end. Our guide on whether a wrongful death claim is criminal or civil explains the difference.

Questions Investigators May Examine

  • Where and how the pickup entered the northbound lanes, and how far it traveled the wrong way.
  • What blood or other tests show, and how the State will try to prove intoxication; police said they were investigating whether intoxication was a factor.
  • The timing of the 911 calls and the emergency response.
  • Event data from both vehicles, and any traffic or business camera video along IH-45.
  • Whether anyone else has information relevant to the timeline before the crash.

These are investigative questions, not allegations that any driver, agency or company caused the crash.

What Remains Unknown

  • Where the pickup entered the wrong side of the freeway.
  • Test results; the release does not state a blood-alcohol level.
  • The exact minute of the collision. Police give call times, not a crash time.
  • Whether more charges will be filed and when the case will be in court.

Evidence to Preserve

  • Request the crash report when it is available (see below) and keep the report or case number.
  • Find out where each vehicle is. Vehicles can be held as evidence. A person with legal authority can ask that a vehicle be preserved before it is repaired, salvaged or destroyed, while respecting any law-enforcement hold.
  • Ask about video early. Tell investigators or a lawyer about businesses, traffic cameras or doorbell cameras near IH-45 near the Hwy 105 exit. Recordings can be overwritten. Do not enter restricted property to get them.
  • Ask about 911 recordings and dispatch logs early. Agencies have their own retention and records rules, and an active criminal case can limit access for now.
  • Keep track of the criminal case without contacting the accused driver or his family. The prosecutor's office and victim services can explain how families receive updates.
  • Keep original photos, texts and witness contact details without editing them. Access a deceased person's phone or accounts only with proper legal authority.
  • Keep financial, work and insurance records, including funeral costs, medical bills, pay stubs, policies and claim letters.

Our guide on evidence that can disappear after a vehicle collision explains why preservation can matter before an investigation ends. Avoid public accusations, and do not post private family documents.

How to get the crash report. Texas peace officer crash reports (CR-3) are sold through TxDOT's crash reports page and its CRIS purchase site. TxDOT lists $6 for a regular copy and $8 for a certified copy, plus a possible processing charge, and people outside the eligible categories receive a redacted copy. Officers generally have ten days to submit reports, which does not guarantee a report is available on day ten. Requests for scene photos, video or other investigation files go to the investigating agency (the Conroe Police Department), not TxDOT.

What Families Should Know

This is general information about Texas law, not advice about anyone's claim, and it does not assume anyone is at fault.

Who can bring a wrongful death claim in Texas? Under Civil Practice and Remedies Code §71.004, a wrongful death action is for the exclusive benefit of the surviving spouse, children and parents of the person who died, and one or more of them may bring it for all of them. If none of them files within three calendar months after the death, the executor or administrator must bring it unless all of them ask otherwise. That three-month rule is not the overall filing deadline.

What is the deadline? CPRC §16.003(b) generally requires a suit for injury resulting in death to be brought within two years after the cause of action accrues, and it says the claim accrues on the death of the injured person. Tolling and special rules can apply, so nothing here is a calculated deadline for any family. A person who was injured but survived has a separate personal-injury provision in §16.003(a).

How does fault work? Under CPRC Chapter 33, a claimant found more than 50 percent responsible cannot recover damages, and a lower percentage reduces damages by that share. In a death case, the fault of the person who died can count. Fault is decided on the evidence, and the sources we reviewed do not make a final finding.

Damages. Texas wrongful death damages are awarded in proportion to the injury under §71.010, which does not state a fixed dollar ceiling. That does not mean "no caps" in every situation: exemplary (punitive) damages, claims against government entities and health-care claims follow separate rules that need individual legal review.

Crime victims' compensation. The Texas Attorney General's program lists DWI crashes and hit-and-run among the crimes it can cover, excludes ordinary car accidents, and has application rules and exceptions. Eligibility for any particular family is decided by the program.

A wrongful death lawyer can explain these rules without assuming anyone is responsible. Before signing an insurance release, understand which claims it settles and whether you have authority to sign it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the family have to wait for the criminal case? No. A civil wrongful death claim is separate and can move on its own timeline. A lawyer can explain how the two cases interact.

What is intoxication manslaughter? It is the criminal charge police say he surrendered on, a second-degree felony in Texas. Only a court can decide whether he is guilty.

Where do we get the crash report? Texas crash reports (CR-3) are sold through TxDOT. Other records, such as video and 911 audio, come from the Conroe Police Department. See the crash report section above.

How Dunk Law Firm Can Help

A case review can help identify which records to request, what evidence may need preserving, which insurance policies to look at and who may have authority to act. It cannot establish fault or promise compensation before the facts are known.

Dunk Law Firm handles wrongful death, catastrophic injury and commercial vehicle cases. Our Houston office serves families in Conroe, Montgomery County and the Houston area and throughout Texas, and the firm also serves clients statewide in Tennessee, Missouri and Wisconsin, with offices in Memphis, St. Louis and Milwaukee. Dunk Law Firm does not contact families after a crash; if you have questions, reach out when you are ready.

For a free case review, call (888) 551-3865 or visit Dunk Law Firm. Help is available 24/7, with no upfront attorney fees. Ask about the written fee agreement and case expenses.

You do not need to have every document ready to ask an initial question.

Sources

Sources checked November 10, 2026, 3:08 p.m. CST.

  1. Conroe Police Department release (published by Woodlands Online): Conroe Wrong-Way Driver Charged With Intoxication Manslaughter in Fatal IH-45 Crash — published Nov. 10, 2026; includes the earlier Conroe PD updates
  2. ABC13 (KTRK): Man arrested for intoxicated manslaughter after deadly wrong-way crash on IH-45, Conroe police say — published Nov. 10, 2026, 1:31 p.m. CST
  3. Montgomery County Police Reporter: Man charged in fatal head-on crash in Conroe — Nov. 10, 2026; includes a jail booking line

The images with this article are AI-generated editorial illustrations, not photographs of the actual scene.

Attorney advertising. General information, not legal advice. No outcome is guaranteed, and contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship. This report does not imply representation of anyone involved. Attorney review or approval is not claimed. Responsible attorney: Orville Dunk.