KATY, TX — The Katy man charged with intoxication manslaughter in a June 23 crash that killed a man on Westheimer Parkway allegedly lied to deputies at the scene, telling investigators he was a passenger in his own vehicle rather than the driver, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Covering Katy News.
Dejon Jahmai Paul Fortune, who was arrested and charged following the early morning crash in the 24200 block of Westheimer Parkway, told Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office Deputy Lindsay McAnally that two unknown females had been inside the vehicle and that he did not know which one had been driving — a claim that contradicted accounts given by witnesses at the scene.
A front-seat passenger in Fortune's white 2021 BMW X5 told deputies that Fortune had been driving and was traveling at speeds she estimated between 70 and 80 mph at the time of the collision.
According to the affidavit, Fortune eventually acknowledged the BMW was his vehicle but said his father owns it, and maintained he was not driving.
Fortune Was Celebrating His 20th Birthday the Night of the Crash
The affidavit states Fortune had been celebrating his 20th birthday at a friend's house near Tompkins High School the night of the crash. He told investigators he arrived at the party around 10:30 p.m., later went to a Taco Bell off Westheimer Parkway, and left when the business closed. Fortune told deputies he consumed his first alcoholic beverage at approximately 10 p.m. — notable given that the legal drinking age in Texas is 21 and he is 20. He rated his own intoxication level at a four or five on a scale of one to ten.
Fort Bend County Jail
Dejon Fortune, 20
Deputies Observed Signs of Intoxication at the Scene
Deputies noted Fortune displayed signs of intoxication, including glossy eyes, droopy eyelids and thick slurred speech, and detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage.
According to the affidavit, Fortune performed poorly on Standardized Field Sobriety Tests administered at the scene, exhibiting three of eight clues on the Walk and Turn test — including an inability to maintain balance — and one of four clues on the One Leg Stand test.
Fortune was transported to OakBend Medical Center for a voluntary blood draw following his arrest. No results were included in the affidavit, as blood alcohol content findings sometimes appear in subsequent legal documents as laboratory analysis is completed.
Passengers Allegedly Removed Alcohol From Vehicle and Left the Scene
The affidavit also reveals that the front-seat passenger and a rear-seat passenger removed alcoholic beverages from the BMW after the crash and placed them in a nearby trash can before leaving the scene with a third individual while Fortune remained.
Victim Sung Bae, 53, Pronounced Dead at Memorial Hermann Hospital
The victim, Sung Bae, 53, was the sole occupant of a black 2024 Cadillac XT4 that collided with Fortune's BMW in the northwest lanes of Westheimer Parkway near Cinco Ranch Boulevard. Bae was extricated from the vehicle and transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Katy, where he was pronounced dead.
The front-seat passenger told deputies that as the BMW approached the Cinco Ranch Boulevard intersection, a white box truck turned right onto Westheimer Parkway, causing Fortune to attempt a lane change and lose control of the vehicle.
Deputy Had Previously Worked a Collision Involving Fortune's BMW
The affidavit notes that Deputy McAnally recognized Fortune from a previous motor vehicle collision she had worked involving the same BMW in August 2025. Fortune acknowledged recognizing her as well but no further details were revealed about that accident.
Fortune was booked into the Fort Bend County Jail. Bail was set at $200,000 by Magistrate Tony K. Duckett.