Off-Duty Houston Police SWAT Officer Dies in Crash

Houston Police Officer Sean McCreary, a senior officer with the Tactical Operations Division, was driving a city-owned take-home vehicle when he struck a tree, and the vehicle caught fire.
Feb. 3, 2026

What to know

  • Houston Police SWAT officer Sean McCreary died in a fiery single-vehicle crash early Sunday while driving a city-issued vehicle, KTRK-TV reported.

  • The off-duty officer’s vehicle struck a tree in a median near Cypresswood around 1:30 a.m., and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

  • HPD’s Vehicular Crimes Unit is investigating the crash, which involved a city-owned vehicle.

A Houston police SWAT officer died early Sunday after a single-vehicle crash that left his city-issued vehicle engulfed in flames.

Officer Sean McCreary, a senior officer assigned to the department’s Tactical Operations Division who joined the agency in 2011, was off duty at the time of the crash, KTRK-TV reports. He was driving a city-owned take-home vehicle at the time of the incident.

The crash happened at about 1:30 a.m. near Cypresswood, where the vehicle struck a tree in the median about a mile from McCreary’s home. When Cy-Fair Fire Department crews arrived, the vehicle was consumed in flames, and McCreary was pronounced dead at the scene, Lt. Eddie Cruz told the news outlet.

The Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office was the first law enforcement agency on scene. Because the crash involved a city vehicle, the Houston Police Department’s Vehicular Crimes Unit is leading the investigation, a department spokesperson said.

On Monday, the crash site showed evidence of a severe fire, including a charred tree trunk, broken glass, and crime scene tape. A makeshift memorial constructed from burned branches and twine had been placed near the tree, according to KTRK-TV.

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