A late-night attempt to cross the lanes of IH-10 on San Antonio's Northwest Side ended in tragedy earlier today when a woman was struck and later died from her injuries, according to police.
San Antonio police said the crash unfolded just after 3:30 a.m. near Huebner Road, when a woman and another person ran across the median and into oncoming traffic. Officers said the woman was hit by a vehicle, rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, and later died. Several lanes were briefly shut down while officers and emergency crews worked the scene.
According to News 4 San Antonio, police said the pair "attempted to jump the median" into the opposite lanes before the woman was struck. The driver who hit her stayed at the scene, and detectives are still piecing together exactly what led the two to dart into the roadway.
Where it happened
The collision took place near the Huebner exit on I-10, a high-traffic stretch that connects shopping centers and office parks on the city's Northwest Side. It is a spot built for speed, not walking, which makes what police say happened there especially dangerous for anyone on foot.
Local coverage has repeatedly pointed out that many of San Antonio's pedestrian deaths occur on state-managed highways that lack basic pedestrian infrastructure. Roughly 60% of the city's pedestrian crashes happen on Texas Department of Transportation roads such as I-10, according to the San Antonio Report.
Why crossing medians is so dangerous
Trying to cross high-speed freeways is risky under the best of circumstances, and the odds only get worse in the overnight hours. At freeway speeds, drivers have very little time to spot and react to someone suddenly appearing in the lane, especially when lighting is limited and pedestrians are not expected to be there in the first place.
National safety groups say the problem is bigger than one city. Pedestrian deaths across the United States remain above pre-pandemic levels, and a significant share of those fatalities occur in places that lack sidewalks, lighting, and safe crossings, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.
Legal note
SAPD noted that the driver who struck the woman stayed at the scene, which is what Texas law requires when a crash results in serious injury or death. State law says drivers involved in such crashes must stop and render aid. Under the Texas Transportation Code (Sec. 550.021), failing to stop after a collision that causes death can be prosecuted as a felony, according to Justia. Any potential charges in this case would depend on what investigators determine.
Authorities have not yet released the woman's identity or additional details about why she and the other person entered the freeway. This story will be updated as SAPD or other officials release more information.
