A 21-year-old man died on the shoulder of the Northwest Freeway early Sunday after a routine roadside breakdown turned fatal, and Houston police say the driver who hit him didn't call for help until roughly 30 minutes later. Axel Rosales, 22, is now facing charges of driving while intoxicated and failure to stop and render aid in connection with the crash near Bingle Road.
According to City of Houston News, the crash happened around 3:05 a.m. Sunday at 12200 Northwest Freeway, where a blue BMW 335i traveling westbound on U.S. Highway 290 became disabled. The driver pulled onto the far right shoulder of the exit ramp near Bingle Road and got out to examine the car. A witness told investigators a white Chevrolet pickup then struck the driver, who was found on the side of the roadway and pronounced dead at the scene by Houston Fire Department paramedics.
The driver of the white Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck called police to report the accident, but only after roughly 30 minutes had passed, per the same report. Officers who responded said Rosales exhibited signs of intoxication, and he was subsequently arrested and charged for his role in the fatal crash. The identity of the 21-year-old victim is still pending notification to family members by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, the outlet noted.
Charges Filed in Two Separate Courts
Rosales's DWI charge has been filed in the 4th Criminal District Court, while his failure to stop and render aid charge is being handled separately in the 228th Criminal District Court.
Failure to stop and render aid in a crash that results in death is a second-degree felony in Texas, carrying a punishment range of 2 to 20 years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000, per the Pabst Law Firm.
If prosecutors determine that Rosales's intoxication directly caused the deadly crash, the misdemeanor DWI charge could be upgraded to intoxication manslaughter under Texas Penal Code § 49.08 — also a second-degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison, per the Law Office of John J. Eastland.
Roadside Breakdowns Carry Hidden Risk
The crash involved a stranded motorist on a Texas highway.
The Northwest Freeway corridor has seen deadly crashes this year. Hoodline previously reported on a fatal Bingle Road crash near the same interchange in August.
Investigators are required to file an official written crash report with the Texas Department of Transportation within 10 days of any incident involving injury or death, under Texas Transportation Code § 550.062. The fatal crash investigation remains ongoing under incident number 128678026-O, and no additional details have been released about the victim or the next court dates for Rosales's pending charges.
