Police allege Tryton Dyckman had been drinking and racing before an Aug. 30 crash that fatally injured his passenger Elijah Butler, a senior at Premier High School.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A 19-year-old driver accused of drinking and racing before a high-speed crash now faces an intoxication manslaughter charge following the death of his passenger.
Corpus Christi Police Department Public Information Officer Tony Contreras confirmed the upgraded charge against Tryton Thomas Dyckman to 3NEWS on Friday evening.
This story continues below.
The family of 18-year-old Elijah Monterious Butler confirmed his death to 3NEWS on Friday afternoon. The family said Butler died Thursday night from injuries suffered in the Aug. 30 crash.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by 3NEWS, officers responded at approximately 2:23 a.m. on Sunday to a single-vehicle crash near Rodd Field Road and Adler Drive.
The affidavit states that police found a gray 2014 Chevrolet Camaro upside down in a ditch near the dead end of Rodd Field Road. Investigators said the car struck reflective warning signs, traveled over dirt piles and rolled several times before stopping on its roof hundreds of feet from the roadway.
An officer found Butler unconscious and barely breathing in the ditch, according to the affidavit. Police said he had been ejected from the Camaro during the rollover.
The affidavit states that Butler was taken to Corpus Christi Medical Center Bay Area in critical condition. Dyckman was transported to the same hospital with minor injuries.
Dyckman admitted that he had been driving and racing another vehicle before the crash, according to the affidavit.
Two witnesses who had been traveling behind the Camaro told police that Dyckman was driving at a high rate of speed, the affidavit states. One witness estimated that Dyckman was traveling more than 100 mph before the Camaro became airborne and disappeared into the ditch.
Another witness told investigators that Dyckman, Butler and others had been drinking earlier at a gathering, according to the affidavit. The witness said Dyckman was warned not to drive but left anyway.
At the hospital, Dyckman admitted drinking vodka and rum, the affidavit states. The investigating officer reported that Dyckman had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath, red and watery eyes, drooping eyelids and slurred speech.
A preliminary breath test produced a possible breath-alcohol concentration of about 0.158, the affidavit states. That is nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08 for drivers of legal age.
Because Dyckman was 19, any detectable amount of alcohol while driving would be illegal under Texas law.
Police arrested Dyckman for driving while intoxicated, according to the affidavit. He consented to a blood draw — the blood sample was submitted for laboratory analysis and the results were pending, the affidavit says
Hospital personnel told investigators that Butler had suffered a brain bleed and a hemorrhage involving his brain stem, according to the affidavit. Police were also told that he had no brain activity.
Dyckman was initially booked on a third-degree felony charge of intoxication assault with a vehicle causing serious bodily injury.
Magistrate Judge Mario Olivarez initially set Dyckman’s bond at $75,000, according to the magistrate records. It is unclear whether a new bond has been set following the upgraded charge.
The family of Elijah has set up a fundraiser to help cover funeral expenses.
This is a developing story. We will provide updates as more information becomes available.