Drunken driving suspected in fatal crashes
3 die, several injured in multiple collisions; pedestrian is struck and killed on FM 529
Two young women died in separate crashes early Saturday on Houston highways, and police suspect intoxicated drivers in both. The wrecks came a few hours after a fatal auto-pedestrian crash in northwest Harris County and a police chase that spanned nearly 40 miles from Galveston to Pasadena.
A 19-year-old woman was killed in an accident involving an allegedly drunken driver in north Houston about 1:30 a.m. Saturday when his SUVleft the North Freeway feeder road, crossed a grassy median just before West Road and entered the northbound main lanes, Houston police said.
The man’s SUV slammed into a Toyota RAV4 carrying seven womenin their late teens and ear- ly 20s. The two cars spun out of control. The man’s vehicle, which had no passengers, stopped moving when it hit the freeway retaining wall. The women’s RAV4 slid onto the feeder road.
Teen in critical condition
The crash killed a woman sitting in the backseat on the passenger side. The other women were injured, including another 19-year-old who was taken in serious condition to Memorial Hermann Hospital.
The man was taken in stable condition to St. Joseph Medical Center downtown. Police have not yet released names of the victims or suspect, but HPD spokesman John Cannon said investigators had determined the man was intoxicated. He will face charges including intoxication manslaugh- ter and intoxication assault.
Another fatal crash happened about 3 a.m. after a man driving the wrong way on the Southwest Freeway caused a five-car pileup, according to Houston police.
Apossibly intoxicated manin a black Dodge Durango SUV drove north in the southbound lanes near the Westpark Tollway, Cannon said.
The man sideswiped a black Scion TC and hit a white Chevy Tahoe head-on. The Tahoe then was struck by a blue Honda CR-V, while the Scion driver lost control and was hit head-on by a white Chevy Impala, the spokesman said.
One female died at the scene. Eleven people were taken to area hospitals, including one girl in critical condition.
“We don’t know much yet because we have so many people that we have to interview at hospitals,” Cannon said.
Police have to await doctors’ permission before interviewing injured victims or the suspect, who also was taken to a hospital.
The driver likely will get a citation or face charges, especially if police determine he was intoxicated. 40-mile police chase
A few hours earlier, a pedestrian was struck and killed about 10:30 p.m. near Jersey Village.
The man, who was walking in the street on FM529, died after he was hit by a red Hyundai Veloster. The driver stopped and called 911. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said police had not identified the victim or reached his next of kin. No charges are expected.
The fatal crashes came after a police chase Friday evening that started about 9 p.m. when several Gulf Freeway motorists called 911 about a reckless driver speeding and nearly hitting other vehicles in the Galveston area.
A state trooper spotted the driver in a Ford Excursion headed northbound and tried to pull him over, but the driver refused to stop. Police chased him about 40 miles as he raced north on the Gulf Freeway, then east on Beltway 8.
The driver exited onto Spencer Highway, where constable’s deputies and Pasadena police helped troopers block in the car. However, the man broke free by driving through a gas station parking lot, where he struck a police car and tried to ram several others.
In fear for their lives, state troopers and Harris County Precinct 8 constable’s deputies opened fire on the driver, who managed to drive away. No one was injured.
The man was finally stopped about a mile away, near Spencer and Red Bluff. Police arrested him and filed charges.