A man was killed late Saturday night after his truck ran out of gas on Houston's East Freeway and he tried to cross the highway on foot to get fuel. As officers worked the scene near Mercury Drive, a second driver failed to yield and slammed into a patrol car occupied by an officer helping block traffic, sending the officer to the hospital.
The crash happened around 11:55 p.m. on Saturday on I-10 near Mercury Drive, according to KPRC Click2Houston. Investigators believe the man had crossed the freeway near that location to retrieve fuel after his truck ran out of gas, and a vehicle fatally struck him as he was making his way back to the truck, according to the Houston Police Department.
Disabled Truck Found Along the Freeway
Police said they located a disabled truck along the freeway and believe it belonged to the man who was killed, per the same report. The driver whose vehicle struck him stayed at the scene and showed no signs of impairment, the outlet noted. Police closed the freeway while they investigated the crash.
Houston’s Tow and Go program, which grew out of the SafeClear initiative launched in 2005, is designed to get disabled vehicles off the city’s freeways. The service provides a tow to a nearby safe location at no cost; if a driver has a spare tire and jack, the wrecker driver will change the tire for free. The city’s program offers a local option for motorists whose vehicles become stranded on a freeway.
It was during that closure that a second collision unfolded. Another driver failed to yield and hit a patrol car that was occupied by an officer helping block traffic for the initial investigation, the station reported.
Officer Hospitalized With Non-Life-Threatening Injuries
The officer was taken to a local hospital, and the injuries were described as non-life-threatening, the report states. No further details on the officer's condition, agency or the hospital where they were treated have been released.
The identities of the man who died, the drivers involved in both crashes, and the injured officer have not been made public. It also remains unclear whether either driver has faced citations or charges in connection with the crashes.
The fatality adds to a statewide toll that remains high even as pedestrian deaths declined from the prior year. TxDOT recorded 768 pedestrian deaths in Texas in 2024, a 5.19% decrease from 2023.
