In a tragic turn of events, the I-45 Gulf Freeway in La Marque, Texas, became the site of a fatal accident early Thursday morning when a pedestrian associated with a disabled vehicle was struck and killed by multiple drivers, prompting the shutdown of the freeway in both directions. As reported by FOX26 Houston, the collision occurred in the 1700 block between Highland Bayou Park and the terminal overpass, with La Marque police advising motorists to reroute through Highway 6 and Highway 3 while expecting heavy delays.

The fatal incident took place when the driver of the stalled car, left with no haven due to ongoing construction that removed the emergency shoulders, attempted a perilous journey across the main lanes only to be met with an untimely end. Traffic was bottlenecked for hours, with no immediate exits available and the congestion extending until midday as per ABC13's coverage, 

All northbound and southbound lanes were affected, with re-opening occurring around 12:15 p.m., after the paralyzed traffic was seen inching forward, against the normal flow, down entrance ramps. ABC13's Chaz Miller shared the plight of commuters like Chanel Travino, a UTMB employee, who recounted, "I pulled up at 6:18 a.m., and it was backed up. It had already started. The people in the front have been there since 6:05 a.m.," indicating the scope and suddenness of the crash's impact.

The investigation into this collision continues while stranded drivers, including doctors and other staff crucial for medical operations, lament the loss and inconvenience, some voices recount that they witnessed people standing outside their vehicles, navigating the standstill not just with their cars but with a struggling sense of order. Real-time traffic updates and advisories were made available through the ABC13 app.