A wheel flew off an 18-wheeler on the East Freeway, hitting a Harris County paving crew. One worker died and another was seriously injured.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A repaving project turned tragic Thursday morning when a wheel from an 18-wheeler flew off the East Freeway and hit members of a work crew, killing one man and injuring another, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were dispatched around 9:50 a.m. to Monmouth Street, just north of the East Freeway. Investigators said three crewmen — William Burns, Israel Medellin, and Jose Bonilla — were standing in the northbound lane of Monmouth Street next to a paving machine when the crash happened.
According to the sheriff’s office, the unknown 18-wheeler lost one of its wheels while traveling westbound on the freeway. The wheel hit a guardrail before becoming airborne and falling into the work zone.
Deputies said the wheel first hit Burns in the arm, then struck the paving machine and Bonilla. After bouncing off Bonilla, it hit Medellin before slamming into a parked Chevrolet Tahoe nearby.
Officials said Medellin suffered serious injuries and was taken to a hospital. Bonilla died at the scene.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office Vehicular Crimes Division is investigating.