What started as a routine shoplifting call at a Galleria-area Old Navy ended in tragedy late Thursday, when two women were struck and killed while trying to run across U.S. 59 in west Houston, authorities said.
Houston police said four women bailed out of a fleeing SUV on the freeway. Two of them were hit in the southbound lanes and died at the scene. The other two were quickly detained and are now in police custody.
What Happened
Assistant Chief James Bryant said officers were called around 9:15 p.m. to the Old Navy near the 5000 block of Westheimer Road for a reported shoplifting. Not long after, officers spotted a dark Chevrolet Tahoe that matched the description of the suspect vehicle.
When police tried to pull the SUV over, the driver refused to stop, and the Tahoe headed into the northbound lanes of U.S. 59 toward the I-45 interchange. The vehicle was involved in what authorities described as a minor crash, and that is where the situation escalated.
Four women got out of the SUV and tried to run across the freeway. As they attempted to cross the southbound lanes, two of them were struck by vehicles and were pronounced dead at the scene, according to KPRC Click2Houston.
Freeway Scene And Background
The collision and emergency response shut down lanes on the freeway while first responders, crash investigators and homicide detectives worked the scene late into the night. Houston police said the names of the women will not be released until their families are notified.
The two other women who ran from the SUV were detained shortly after the incident and remain in custody as detectives try to piece together exactly how the pursuit unfolded and who was behind the wheel.
The deadly outcome is tragically familiar in the Houston area, where high-speed chases and freeway crashes have previously ended with fatalities and serious criminal charges. In prior cases, prosecutors have pursued felony counts when a police pursuit ended in death, as reported by the Houston Chronicle.
Investigation Underway
According to investigators, officers were helped by a tracking device that allowed them to locate the suspect SUV near South Rice Avenue and Westpark Drive after the freeway chaos. It was in that area that two of the women were taken into custody and the scene was secured, according to KPRC Click2Houston.
Police said not all of the women have been fully identified and emphasized that the investigation is still in its early stages. Detectives are reviewing video, collecting physical evidence and interviewing witnesses to reconstruct the sequence of events from the Old Navy call to the moment the women stepped onto the freeway.
Authorities have not said whether any criminal charges will be filed in connection with the pursuit or the deaths.
Legal Context
When a chase ends with someone killed, prosecutors often take a hard look at the driver who tried to flee. Felony charges can be on the table, but they are not automatic. To file those counts, the district attorney typically has to show that the fleeing driver’s actions directly caused the deaths and met the legal threshold for intent or extreme recklessness.
In a previous Houston-area case, prosecutors brought felony murder charges after a pursuit ended with two people dead, underscoring just how serious the legal fallout can be when a chase turns deadly. Investigators in this case said they are still working through the details and will release more information as it becomes available.
