A pre-dawn wreck on Hollister Street has left a passenger dead and a Houston man facing an intoxication manslaughter charge. Police say a pickup veered off the roadway, hit a raised concrete sidewalk and then crashed through a metal fence, leaving the driver in critical condition at a hospital.
According to a Houston Police Department news release, the collision happened around 4 a.m. Sunday in the 7000 block of Hollister Street near West Little York Road and involved a gray Toyota Tundra traveling at a high rate of speed. The passenger was pronounced dead at the scene, and the identity of the deceased male is still pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
Local station FOX 26 Houston identified the driver as 50-year-old Pablo Maravilla and reported he was taken to an area hospital in critical condition. FOX 26 Houston also reported that Maravilla has been charged with intoxication manslaughter in the 180th Criminal District Court and that his bond has not been set because he remains hospitalized.
Charges And Court Status
HPD’s Vehicular Crimes Division is handling the reconstruction of the crash, and investigators say prosecutors will present the case, including the charges, once the defendant is medically cleared. The city release notes the incident number and confirms there were no other vehicles involved in the crash. Houston Police Department news release
A Dangerous Corridor
The Hollister and West Little York corridor has seen other fatal collisions and ongoing safety worries in recent months. One recent report labeled the stretch a treacherous northwest Houston stretch, and local coverage has repeatedly pointed to high speeds and missing pedestrian infrastructure as likely contributing factors.
Investigation
Officials say more information, including toxicology results and any upcoming court dates, will be released as the investigation moves forward. Investigators are continuing to reconstruct the crash and have asked anyone with information to contact HPD's Vehicular Crimes Division.
