Man accused of killing his stepdad with machete dies in head-on crash nearby, deputies say

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A murder suspect died in a head-on crash that authorities believe happened after his stepfather was killed nearby in Montgomery County.

Asst. Chief of Operations Rick Bass said the series of events began when a welfare check was requested at a home where 77-year-old Jeffery Love lived. Investigators said family members found him dead.

"This (man) had multiple sharp force trauma to the head, and what appeared to be sharp trauma to the head, and a machete was found nearby," Chief Bass said.

About 100 yards away, a head-on crash with a dump truck and a Toyota Grand Highlander was reported. Deputies found that the driver of the Toyota, 35-year-old Nicholas Petropolis, died in that crash, and they believe the crash was intentional.

"There's video evidence that the suspect accelerated and entered into oncoming traffic just shortly before the (crash) was observed. This evidence was captured by a witness who had a dash cam that captured the entire incident," Bass continued.

Petropolis is Love's stepson and is believed to be the murder suspect, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.

"They're still interviewing family members; there's no indication that there was any type of toxic relationship between the stepson and the stepfather," Bass said.

Authorities said Petropolis has no criminal history, and deputies are investigating what led to Love's death.

SkyEye was positioned above the crash and the murder scene, where multiple first responders could be seen investigating.

Investigators said there is no threat to the public.

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