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Nick Rodriguez

Age : 23

Gender : Male

Race : Latino/a/e

Date : 10/01/2021

Location : 5800 block of Fairdale Lane near Fountain View Drive

City : Houston

County : Harris

State : Texas

Agency : Houston Police Department

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Bystander killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

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REASON WHY PURSUIT WAS INITIATED:
At approximately 10:30 p.m., a Houston Police sergeant saw a white Infiniti G37 doing donuts and burnouts in a parking lot near Fairdale Lane and Fountain View Drive. The sergeant activated the patrol vehicle's emergency lights and siren and attempted a traffic stop. The driver continued driving away and police initiated a pursuit.
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OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY:
On 10/01/2021, Houston Police pursued the Infiniti from the parking lot through the surrounding residential area. The fleeing vehicle reached approximately 60 mph in a 30-mph area before reaching three Prospect Park valet workers walking back toward the restaurant after parking customers' vehicles.
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The Infiniti struck 23-year-old Nick Rodriguez and his coworkers Fnan Measho and Eric Orduna. All three died at the scene. The vehicle subsequently entered a ditch and flipped. Sixteen-year-old passenger Mohammed Alkatip was ejected and seriously injured, undergoing multiple surgeries for injuries to both legs.
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Nick had already survived a life-threatening ordeal long before the crash: he had battled leukemia as a child and survived. At 23, he was attending Sam Houston State University and pursuing a career in music therapy. His family said he wanted to use music to work with children with special needs. He was working as a valet while completing his education when he was killed.
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Nick's family remembered the bitter contrast between surviving childhood leukemia and then being killed while simply working his valet job. His relatives joined the families of Fnan and Eric in mourning the three young men, and Prospect Park held a balloon release outside the restaurant in their memory.
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DISPOSITION:
Ahmedal Tayeb Elnouman Modawi was charged with three counts of murder and aggravated assault with serious bodily injury. He later pleaded guilty in connection with the deaths of Nick, Fnan and Eric. On 06/30/2023, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
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No Houston Police officer was criminally charged for an officer's role in initiating or continuing the pursuit.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Houston Police Department did not publicly identify the sergeant who initiated and participated in the fatal pursuit.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://abc13.com/prospect-park-workers-killed-fnan-measho-eric-orduna-nick-rodriguez/11076546/
https://abc13.com/prospect-park-valet-workers-killed-sports-bar-ahmedal-tayeb-elnouman-modawi/11081879/
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/10/02/3-valet-workers-killed-after-suspect-involved-in-pursuit-crashes-near-nightclub-in-southwest-houston/
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/10/04/families-mourn-the-valets-killed-friday-by-a-driver-attempting-to-evade-police/
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/crime/article/valet-deaths-modawi-18178818.php