A late-night crash on the eastbound Beltway 8 service road near 7201 South Sam Houston Parkway East left a 24-year-old man dead Friday, after he was struck by a BMW. The victim, identified as Juston Smith, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene by Houston Fire Department paramedics. Houston police said the collision happened at about 10:20 p.m. Friday.
According to a media release from the Houston Police Department, a blue BMW 740 hit Smith on the eastbound Beltway 8 service road. The driver, a 50-year-old man, stayed at the scene, was questioned by investigators and then released. Sgt. M. Barrow and Officer J. Rincon of HPD’s Vehicular Crimes Division reported that investigators did not observe signs of intoxication. The department is asking anyone with information about the incident to contact its Vehicular Crimes Division at 713-308-3280, according to the Houston Police Department.
Pedestrian Safety in Houston
Pedestrian deaths remain a stubborn problem both in Houston and across the country. The Governors Highway Safety Association has reported elevated pedestrian fatalities in recent years, even as the totals dipped slightly in 2024. The City of Houston’s Vision Zero program and Planning Department track high-injury corridors and are pursuing federal grants and street redesigns to add or improve sidewalks, crosswalks and signals in the most dangerous areas, the city said. Those efforts focus on the kinds of fast, multilane arterials where many deadly mid-block crashes occur.
HPD said “the investigation is ongoing” and that detectives are reviewing surveillance and other evidence from the scene. No charges have been announced, and investigators are still looking for witnesses who may have video of the crash, the department said. Anyone with tips is urged to call the Vehicular Crimes Division at 713-308-3280 or contact the HPD Office of Community Affairs, according to the Houston Police Department.
