Houston authorities are piecing together the details of a deadly pedestrian accident that saw a 61-year-old woman killed on West Houston Center Boulevard Monday evening. The victim, whose name has not yet been released pending identification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, was fatally struck by a blue Toyota Sienna at around 5:30 p.m., as per an official statement by the Houston Police Department.

The incident occurred when the northbound vehicle inexplicably swerved off the road and hit the woman as she stood on the sidewalk. After the initial impact, the minivan continued to careen through a nearby gas station parking lot before coming to a stop against a concrete signpost. The driver, a 59-year-old man, and his 57-year-old female passenger were quickly taken to a local hospital. Early reports suggest the driver might have suffered a medical episode leading to the tragic collision.

Houston's HPD Vehicular Crimes Division Sergeant L. Le and Officer D. Ortega are leading the investigation. While the exact cause of the crash is still under inquiry, the driver did not display signs of intoxication after the accident. "The passenger stated the driver appeared to suffer a medical issue at the time of the crash," detailed the Houston police in their initial report.

Responding paramedics from the Houston Fire Department pronounced the pedestrian dead on the scene. The ongoing investigation will definitively need to ascertain whether the presumed medical emergency directly led to the fatal outcome.