A fatal crash completely shut down all northbound main lanes and both shoulders of Interstate 45 near Gladstell Street in Montgomery County early Sunday morning, triggering a lengthy closure that backed up traffic across the Conroe area. Authorities confirmed at least one person died in the collision, though the victim's identity and the cause of the crash had not been released.
The Texas Department of Transportation and Houston TranStar first verified the incident around 5 a.m., according to FOX 26. The station reported that police and emergency responders remained at the scene conducting an investigation and clearing debris, a process that caused major traffic backups in the area. KHOU 11 separately reported that the number of people injured or killed was not immediately clear, a detail that conflicts with FOX 26's confirmation of at least one fatality.
All Lanes and Shoulders Blocked
Houston TranStar's road closure listing showed the shutdown affecting all mainlanes along with the left and right shoulders northbound at Gladstell Street in Montgomery County, leaving drivers with nowhere to pass through the scene. The scope of the closure meant every northbound vehicle approaching the area had to find another way around.
Local traffic updates described the situation in blunt terms, with one post stating that all northbound traffic had to exit and warning of a very heavy backup, per the Montgomery County Police Reporter. The outlet also indicated the closure was expected to last several hours, and a related post from the same source put the likely reopening at no earlier than 9 a.m.
Detour Options and Lingering Questions
Motorists heading north were strongly advised to exit early, seek alternate routes, or brace for extensive delays, FOX 26 reported. Drivers looking to bypass the closure could take Exit 84B and head north on South Frazier Street, or simply use the feeder road to continue their trip.
The exact timeline for when the northbound lanes fully reopened was not available, and the cause of the crash remained unreleased as of Sunday morning. It's the kind of scene that has become painfully familiar to Montgomery County drivers and first responders alike; in June, Montgomery County Sheriff's Deputy Erika Serrato was killed while directing traffic at a separate crash scene on I-45 North near The Woodlands, according to News 4 San Antonio. In that incident, deputies had responded to a multi-vehicle crash near the Woodlands Parkway exit around 2:39 a.m. when a heavy-duty commercial truck pulling a trailer struck Serrato and two marked patrol vehicles with their emergency lights activated; a 34-year-old man involved in the initial crash was later charged with driving while intoxicated.
No such details have emerged about Sunday's crash near Gladstell Street. Authorities have not released information on what led up to the collision or how many vehicles were involved, and Hoodline will update this story as more information becomes available.
