Deer Park mayor says September’s Houston Landing pipeline explosion that killed driver Jonathan McEvoy ‘was not an accident’

DEER PARK, Texas (KTRK) — Leaders in Deer Park and La Porte have reportedly declared that a massive pipeline explosion that burned for more than three days in September and destroyed homes was not an accident.

This according to article published Wednesday in Houston Landing.

The explosion occurred after a driver struck an above-ground pipeline valve, causing a massive fire on September 16. The driver, identified as 51-year-old Jonathan McEvoy, was killed.

PREVIOUS REPORT: Police say the remains of a 51-year-old man have been identified after a pipeline explosion in Deer Park and a day-long fire

Deer Park resident Jonathan McEvoy was the person whose remains were in the Lexus, which police say hit an above-ground pipeline valve.

In a statement to the Landing, Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton Jr. said: “This was a criminal investigation because for all intents and purposes it was an intentional act. You can’t accidentally end up where that car landed in. It wasn’t an accident.”

La Porte’s emergency management coordinator, Johnny Morales, told the Landing that the crash was “non-medical in nature” but gave no further details.

ABC13 previously spoke with McEvoy’s ex-wife. She said he was having seizures and believed that may have caused him to run off the road.

The exact cause of the driver’s death has not been determined.

In response to the landing report, the city of Deer Park sent ABC13 a clarifying statement, saying the mayor meant to say that the crash must have been a medical emergency or an intentional act and is therefore being treated as a criminal investigation.

The Deer Park Police Department says the investigation is ongoing.

Below is the full clarifying statement from the City of Deer Park:

“This is a clarifying statement from the City of Deer Park in relation to an article published today in Houston Landing regarding an energy transmission pipeline incident that occurred in September 2024.

It has not yet been determined whether this was an intentional event. Until we receive the medical examiner’s report, the Deer Park Police Department will not be able to complete the investigation. The case is ongoing. Until the criminal side of the investigation is completed, we will have no additional information beyond what has already been released.

Once I receive information about the conclusion of the investigation, I will personally send you a copy of the announcement by e-mail.

To confirm the use of the word “accident” in the Houston Landing article: the mayor tried to claim that because the car came from a Walmart parking lot, it was not the person driving the vehicle who lost control. It must have been a medical emergency or an intentional criminal act. Therefore, it is treated as a criminal investigation – to try to rule out any criminal negligence in the case. The investigation CANNOT be completely completed until the Deer Park Police Department receives a report from the Medical Examiner’s Office.

Again, we will have no additional information (other than what has previously been released) until the investigation is complete.”

Harris County is determining how to regulate safety measures in above-ground pipeline infrastructure similar to that in La Porte.

As the investigation continues into the accident that sparked the La Porte fire, families are picking up what’s left of their homes.