A Hardin County man arrested three months ago for possession of child pornography was killed in a single-vehicle crash on FM 92, north of Silsbee, on Feb. 12.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) identified the driver as Wyatt Sawyer, 21, of Lumberton. This was the fourth fatality this month on Hardin County roads.
According to DPS, the preliminary crash investigation indicated that, at 2:39 p.m., a Toyota passenger car traveling south left the roadway and overcorrected in the 5000 block of FM 92, causing the passenger car to travel into a side skid across the highway and into the east ditch near Cravens Camp Road, where it struck multiple trees.
Sawyer was pronounced deceased on scene by a Justice of the Peace. DPS stated the investigation is ongoing and no further information was available at press time.
Nov. 14, 2023, Lumberton Police Chief Danny Sullins reported Sawyer was arrested after a two-month investigation by investigators with the Texas Attorney General’s (AG) Office. Hardin County 356th District Judge Steve Thomas issued five arrest warrants for Sawyer pursuant to the investigation that commenced in August 2023 with the Lumberton Police Department assisting AG’s Office investigators with a search warrant at a home in the 500 block of Jordan Drive. During the investigation, more than 2,000 files containing child pornography were discovered, Sullins reported.
Sawyer was arraigned by Pct. 5 Justice of the Peace Melissa Minton and his bond was set at $250,000 for each charge, totaling $1.25 million. Sawyer was booked into the Hardin County Jail and was released Dec. 8, 2023, after his bond was reduced.
According to District Attorney Rebecca Walton, there were “some pending indicted cases” on Sawyer, as well. Walton noted there was a hearing in the 356th District Court for Sawyer on Dec. 4, 2023, that ended with a bond reduction although there are no specific reasons in the order that state the reason for the reduction.
“In general at those hearings, the court receives testimony regarding the defendant’s/defendant’s family financial ability to make that bond, and/or flight risk and/or threat to community,” Walton detailed, adding that the DA’s Office has no details as to what evidence was received by the court on Dec. 4, 2023.