A Houston man died Tuesday after his Jeep overturned on the ramp from southbound U.S. Highway 59 to State Highway 288 along the Southwest Freeway, according to police. Houston Fire Department paramedics pronounced the driver dead at the scene, and Houston Police Department investigators responded to work the crash. The victim’s identity is pending confirmation by the county medical examiner.
What happened
According to the Houston Police Department, the vehicle, a blue Jeep Wrangler, struck the right-side guardrail near the 150 block of the Southwest Freeway on the ramp from southbound U.S. Highway 59 to State Highway 288, then overturned. Emergency crews responded and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigation and response
The Houston Police Department’s Vehicular Crimes Division is leading the investigation and officers were on scene gathering evidence, per the Houston Police Department. HPD releases for similar freeway fatalities note that Houston Fire Department paramedics typically pronounce victims at the scene, and anyone with information is asked to contact the HPD Hit-and-Run Unit at 713-247-4072 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
Traffic and how to help
The crash closed at least part of the ramp and briefly snarled traffic on the Southwest Freeway, creating delays for south-side commuters, MyTexasDaily reported. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences will handle identification and any autopsy work, the institute's website explains. Relatives and anyone with information or footage of the wreck are asked to contact HPD or Crime Stoppers so investigators can piece together what happened.
