HOUSTON -- Prominent Houston attorney John O'Quinn was one of two people killed in a single-vehicle crash near downtown on Thursday, KPRC Local 2 reported.

Houston police said a Chevrolet Suburban jumped the median on Allen Parkway near Montrose Boulevard at about 8:15 a.m. It then slammed into a tree.

O'Quinn, 68, and Johnny Cutliff, an employee who worked for O'Quinn's firm for 26 years, died in the crash.

Police said O'Quinn was the driver.

Investigators blamed high speed, slick roads and no seat belts for the deaths.

O'Quinn was considered one of the top attorneys in the country and one of the top philanthropists in the Houston area.

"Everybody is taking it hard. John was a really big part of this university and a bigger part of the law school. A lot of people knew John. A lot of people have benefited because of what John's done for this school," said Richard Alderman with the UH law school.

"He has gone out of his way to help people that he never even knew. He has read the newspaper about people falling on hard times or having bad luck, and he's taken some action to do something with those people and to help those people," said Don Clark, O'Quinn's colleague.

O'Quinn, a graduate of the University of Houston Law Center, went over a decade without losing a case and made billions in the Texas tobacco settlement. He also played a prominent role for his exploits in asbestos, tobacco, silicone implants and fen-phen cases.

"I never saw him be as hard on anybody as he was on himself. He never was satisfied. You get a big judgment, you get a billion-dollar verdict, and the next day he's thinking, 'You know, I could have done better.' And he inspired you to try and do better," said Neil McCab, O'Quinn's colleague.

He also was prosecuted by the State Bar of Texas for how he obtained cases and found in contempt midtrial for sleeping in a jury room.

According to his law firm's Web site, O'Quinn was named one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America by the National Law Journal, one of the 100 Legal Legends of Texas by Texas Lawyer and one of the Five Best Texas Trial Lawyers of the Past Century by the Houston Chronicle.

O'Quinn was an avid car collector who once paid $690,000 for a light blue 1975 Ford Escort GL once owned by Pope John Paul II. His collection also included hot rods, a Bat mobile and a limo from President John F. Kennedy's motorcade.

He once lost $1.3 million when he put his collection in the hands of an ex-con, Zev Isgur, to take care of the collection and make it bigger. O'Quinn told him to find impressive cars anywhere in the world, then O'Quinn would approve the purchases and cut checks for any amount that Isgur would ask for.

O'Quinn became suspicious of Isgur's lavish lifestyle and discovered he was three dozen cars short.

Police said they had never been purchased and found $800,000 of the money with Isgur's girlfriend, who was a stripper.

Letter From UH President On O'Quinn's Death

"My friends in the UH community:

"It is with deep regret and sadness that I inform you that the University of Houston has lost one of its most dedicated and passionate supporters. John O'Quinn died this morning, reportedly in a one-car accident on Allen Parkway, near downtown Houston.

"O'Quinn, a noted attorney and UH Law Center alumnus, served on our UH System Board of Regents from 1993 to 1999, holding the office of vice chairman from 1994-96.

"He worked tirelessly in behalf of this university and was one of its most generous financial contributors. The O'Quinn Law Library and O'Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium are the most prominent examples of his philanthropy at UH but are by no means the extent of it. Over the years, he made numerous gifts, including significant donations to the UH Library and to the Cougar Marching Band. A good deal of this school's success can be credited to John's unflagging commitment to making UH a better institution.

"On a personal note, I saw John recently, visiting with him at our homecoming football game against SMU. He was filled with his usual Cougar spirit and enthusiasm. The team's triumph, plus our national ranking, only added to his excitement. I am glad to have that wonderful memory of an exuberant John, reveling in the victory. But, win or lose, John was always unwavering in his support of the team and this university.

"Our campus mourns the loss of one of its most devoted friends and benefactors.

Renu Khator"