Wrong-way crash on North Freeway leaves mother and son dead, father and daughter critically injured

HOUSTON — A wrong-way crash left two people dead near downtown Houston early Monday morning. A woman and her son died and several other people were critically injured, according to the Houston Police Department.

The crash happened just after 12:45 a.m. on the North Freeway near the Dallas and Preston exit. Police said a red Ford F-150 was captured on downtown traffic cameras driving the wrong way on the freeway.

The truck collided with a Mitsubishi Outlander, which then either hit or was struck by a Nissan Rogue, according to Sgt. David Rose with HPD’s Vehicular Crimes Division.

Police confirmed the following details about the vehicles and victims:

• Mitsubishi Outlander:
  • A 33-year-old mother (driver) and her 9-year-old son were both killed.
  • The father, seated in the front passenger seat, is in critical condition.
  • A second child, 10, is also in critical condition.
  • All four occupants had to be cut out of the vehicle.
• Ford F-150 (wrong-way driver):
  • The 44-year-old male driver underwent surgery at Ben Taub Hospital and remains in the ICU in critical condition.
  • Police said he is in police custody while they await the results of a blood test to determine possible impairment.
• Nissan Rogue:
  • Driven by a woman who is two months pregnant. She was transported to the hospital but is not in critical condition.
  • A male passenger in the Rogue had minor injuries and was walking around at the scene.

A fundraiser has been set up to support the father and 10-year-old child.

Rose said police are working with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and Drug Recognition Experts to obtain a blood warrant. At this time, it’s unclear if the driver of the Ford F-150 was impaired.

“If I knew he was intoxicated, he would already be charged,” Rose said.

If test results show impairment, the driver could face multiple counts of intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault. If not impaired, prosecutors may pursue manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide charges, depending on the circumstances and findings of a grand jury.

Rose said medical conditions, such as strokes or medications, are other possible causes of wrong-way crashes.

You can watch that update from Sgt. David Rose with the Houston Police Department below.

Police confirmed that surveillance video from downtown captured the Ford F-150 entering the freeway in the wrong direction. A sergeant on the scene reviewed the footage, and accident reconstruction experts from HPD and the DA’s Office also analyzed road evidence, which confirmed that the Ford was the wrong-way driver.

All vehicles were taken to HPD’s DART lot for further processing.

Rose said the scene was difficult for responding officers and his team members.

“We do a lot of fatal crashes, but we don’t do many involving children — which is a blessing,” he said. “But days like today are tough.”

He added that good Samaritans stopped to help immediately after the crash. They flipped the Mitsubishi upright and tried to assist the victims. Unfortunately, they were unable to save the mother and son.

“These people didn’t do anything wrong. It’s not unreasonable to assume you’re safe at 12:45 a.m.,” Rose said.

HOW TO HELP: A GoFundMe has been started for the father and daughter who survived the crash.

The crash shut down all southbound lanes of I-45 near the I-10 ramps for several hours. A weather front also delayed the investigation.

Although the freeway has since reopened, HPD warned of residual delays during the morning commute.

Rose noted that the crash site was difficult to shut down and required officers from multiple areas of the city to assist. He also referenced a similar fatal crash in the area about five years ago in which a big rig ended up near the Downtown Aquarium parking lot.

The investigation is ongoing. Police expect to have more answers once toxicology results are returned and the District Attorney’s Office reviews the case for charges.

Authorities have not released the identities of the victims and the specific ages of the adults are being withheld for privacy.

Officials said the vast majority of wrong-way driving incidents involve a driver who is somehow impaired and prevention efforts focus on infrastructure as well as informing the public of the risks of impaired driving.

“We attack it with the with the three Es,” TxDOT public information officer Danny Perez told KHOU 11. “That’s engineering, enforcement and education.”

Efforts include red, illuminated signage markings on the road at exit ramps as well as detection and warning systems.

“We’ve looked at different areas where we could see the potential for folks to come up the wrong way, especially on our exit ramps,” Perez said.

Controlled roadways, like the Westpark Tollway, can use mechanisms like gates to add a layer of protection.

Other metro areas have worked to address the issue over the years.

That includes San Antonio, which, in 2011, formed a task force to study the issue, develop potential solutions, implement them, and review the results.

Installing illuminated signage, road markers and a camera detection and warning system all helped reduce the number of incidents. In the first year of a pilot program along one roadway, the task force reported a 30% reduction in the number of wrong-way driving incidents.

Ultimately, officials say the number one way to reduce the number of such incidents is to prevent drunk or impaired driving.

Houston police have shared four tips to help keep you safe from wrong-way drivers.

• First, stay alert with your eyes looking ahead and down the road for potential problems.     
• Second, at night, try to stay in the right lane, as wrong-way drivers are likely to be driving in the left-most lane.
• Third, if a wrong-way driver is headed towards you, slow down, move to the shoulder and then call 911.
• Police say your job is to save yourself and not try to stop the wrong-way driver.