A head-on collision on State Highway 105 in Washington County left three people dead and three others critically injured Thursday afternoon, after a Chevrolet Equinox attempted to pass in a no-passing zone and slammed into an oncoming Chevrolet Impala. The crash happened just after 5:30 p.m., according to Texas Department of Public Safety troopers investigating the scene.
Troopers told FOX 26 Houston that the Equinox was traveling eastbound on Highway 105 when it moved into a no-passing zone, crossing into the path of the westbound Impala. The two vehicles struck each other head-on, according to the same DPS account. Local radio station KWHI reported that three people were flown to a hospital that afternoon.
Three people were killed in the wreck, DPS troopers said: the Impala's driver, the Impala's passenger, and a back-seat passenger riding in the Equinox. The Equinox's driver, its front-seat passenger, and another back-seat passenger were all flown to Memorial Hermann in critical condition, officials said. As of Thursday night, officials had not released the identities or ages of those killed or injured.
Why Victims Were Flown to Houston
All three critically injured survivors were airlifted to Memorial Hermann. The hospital's Red Duke Trauma Institute is one of only two Level I trauma centers in Greater Houston and is the city’s only Level I trauma center caring for both adults and children. The hospital's Life Flight air medical service is built to transport critically injured patients within a 150-mile radius, according to Memorial Hermann. Authorities said intoxication was not a factor in the crash.
State Highway 105 runs from downtown Brenham in Washington County to Navasota, Conroe, and Beaumont, per Wikipedia. The route passes through farming lands near Brenham.
What Texas Law Says About the Pass
Texas Transportation Code § 545.055 bars drivers from crossing into the left side of the roadway in designated no-passing zones or over double solid yellow markings, except when turning into or out of an alley, private road, or driveway, according to FindLaw. Causing a fatal collision through an illegal pass can expose a driver to more serious criminal charges — manslaughter under Texas Penal Code § 19.04 or criminally negligent homicide under § 19.05, the same FindLaw analysis notes. Criminally negligent homicide is charged as a state jail felony, while manslaughter is a second-degree felony carrying 2 to 20 years in prison.
Whether Texas DPS troopers will pursue criminal charges against the surviving Equinox driver remains an open question, as does the formal release of victims' names and ages.
Washington County Safety Context
Washington County recorded six traffic deaths in 2023, according to crash records compiled by CaseValuation.com.
Thursday's crash came two days after Washington County introduced its first Fire Services Director and Emergency Management Coordinator, who entered the role on October 6, per KWHI's earlier report.
No further details on the Washington County victims had been released as of Thursday night.
