A 76-year-old man died after his car was rear-ended on the Eastex Freeway service road in north Houston, setting off a chain-reaction crash that also sent two other drivers to the hospital. Houston police say the case is now headed to a Harris County grand jury.
The crash happened at roughly 4:45 p.m. on October 23 in the 15900 block of the Eastex Freeway (North U.S. Highway 59) service road, according to the Houston Police Department. Investigators say a silver Chevrolet Spark was traveling northbound and had stopped at a red light when a white Hyundai Santa Fe struck it from behind. The Hyundai then also struck a black Nissan Altima that was in another lane, according to City of Houston.
Houston Fire Department paramedics rushed the Chevrolet's driver to an area hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead, HPD said. The man was 76 years old, and his identity is pending notification to family by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, as reported by City of Houston.
Passenger and Other Drivers Escape Serious Injury
A passenger riding in the Chevrolet was also transported to the hospital but suffered only non-life-threatening injuries, the police department said. The Nissan's driver was not taken by ambulance but instead drove themselves to a hospital to be checked out, as noted by City of Houston.
Police said the Hyundai's driver showed no signs of intoxication at the scene, City of Houston reported City of Houston. Beyond the vehicle movements and injuries described in the release, HPD has not detailed the exact intersection configuration or a full sequence of the impacts.
Case Moving to a Harris County Grand Jury
HPD said the fatal crash will be referred to a Harris County grand jury, a step that followed consultation with the Harris County District Attorney's Office. The department has not indicated whether any citations or arrests have resulted from the investigation. The media release identifies the incident under case number 704495626-W, per a report from City of Houston.
