HOUSTON -- A driver died Tuesday night when he ran a red light and crashed into a METRORail train in downtown Houston, officials told Local 2. METRO officials said this is the first fatal accident involving the light-rail system since the train began running in November 2003.

Investigators said the train, traveling south on Main Street at about 25 mph, crashed into the driver's side of the pickup at about 10:30 p.m. after the driver, traveling east on Jefferson Street, ran the light.

Emergency crews pronounced the driver -- Jesse Villarreal, 46, of South Houston -- dead at the scene.

Police said Villarreal was speeding when the accident occurred. The train was traveling at 25 mph, which is its standard speed, authorities said.

"Unfortunately, we had a vehicle operator who ran a red light. Because of the loss of human life, which is the most valuable thing we can recognize in our society and community, we are going to look back and see if there are things we can do differently," METRO Police Chief Tom Lambert said.

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The impact of the collision caused the train to come off the tracks. Four of 12 passengers aboard the train were transported to a hospital with minor injuries. The train's operator was not injured.

Investigators reviewed video from the train's camera. They said the train's operator had a green light for as much as five seconds before reaching the Jefferson intersection.

METRO said the train operator saw the truck and hit the train's brakes, but there wasn't anything the operator could have done to prevent the crash.

Authorities said there were no brake marks on the street to indicate Villarreal tried to stop.

Testing will be performed at the intersection to determine how long it takes for the light to turn from green to yellow to red.

He leaves behind four children and several grandchildren.

The victim's daughter, Valerie Villarreal, told Local 2 her father ran an air conditioning company and that Tuesday was his day off. She said her father had eaten dinner with her brother downtown hours before the accident happened.

"He was always there when you needed him and was there to talk to and that's just the hardest thing, when you need that father talk or that fatherly advice, he's not going to be there," daughter Jessica Jones said.

Family members said Villarreal was not the type to run a red light.

Officials said standard procedure required them to perform blood-alcohol tests on the train operator and Villarreal. The results of those tests have not yet been released.

METRO spokesman George Smalley said the company would investigate the accident closely to see if anything on their end contributed to the accident.

"We will look at signage, look at this particular intersection to see if there is anything we can do to improve safety," Smalley said.

The Texas Transportation Institute recommended improvements in 2004 to enhance the light-rail system's safety.

METRO officials said the number of accidents has decreased since they put those recommendations in place.