A 19-year-old Houston woman is clinging to life after police say she was hit by two different vehicles that took off without stopping in the early hours of New Year’s Day. The crash happened along the I-45 North feeder at Crosstimbers, and her family says both drivers left without helping. Loved ones are now scrambling for witnesses and dash-cam video as the teen remains in the hospital.
According to FOX 26 Houston, the victim is 19-year-old Alize Mireles. The station reports she pulled over at about 5 a.m. yesterday and got out of her car for reasons that are still unknown before being struck by two vehicles. FOX 26 Houston also reports that Houston police responded to the scene and are investigating the case as a hit-and-run. No suspect or vehicle descriptions have been released, and anyone with information has been asked to contact HPD’s accident division.
Her mother, Andrea Hernandez, told FOX 26 Houston that Mireles is at Ben Taub Hospital with a tube in her throat. Hernandez said her daughter briefly opened her eyes but could not talk. “She was 19, but that's my baby,” Hernandez said, asking for prayers and urging anyone who knows anything to speak up. She said she arrived at the crash site to find four Houston police officers there and was later told that an officer would meet her at the hospital.
How to report tips
The Houston Police Department is asking anyone with dash-cam or security video from the area to contact its Hit and Run Unit or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers. HPD press releases commonly list the Hit and Run Unit number as 713-247-4065 and Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. Investigators say saving video and writing down vehicle details can be crucial when they are trying to track down drivers who take off.
Why are hit-and-run acases re cases hard to solve in Houston
The Houston Chronicle reported that HPD recorded more than 26,800 hit-and-run reports in 2023 but assigned only about 1,166 of those cases to investigators. Advocates say that kind of backlog makes it much tougher to find fleeing drivers, especially in overnight crashes where there are few witnesses and video footage is often the only real lead.
Where she's being treated
Harris Health Ben Taub Hospital is a Level I trauma center in the Texas Medical Center that handles major emergencies and complex injuries. Mireles' family says she remains in critical condition there as doctors work to understand the full extent of her injuries.
What remains unclear
Investigators have not released any description of the vehicles involved or explained why Mireles left her car, and authorities have not announced any arrests. The timeline leading up to the impact is still under review as detectives sort through tips and any available surveillance video. Family members say they are hoping that nearby residents and drivers will check doorbell cameras and dash-cams from the pre-dawn hours for anything that might help.
Anyone with information or video connected to the crash is urged to call the HPD Hit and Run Unit at 713-247-4065 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. Police say holding on to footage and reporting what you know as quickly as possible can help move these kinds of investigations forward and increase the odds of finding drivers who leave the scene.
