Suspected drunken driver asleep at wheel causes 4-car pileup; 1 dead, police say

HOUSTON – A  man was killed Saturday in multi-vehicle on the North Freeway at West Mount Houston Road, police said.

Refugio Eguia-Garcia, 44, is charged with intoxication manslaughter after police said he passed out behind the wheel and caused a four-vehicle pileup.

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According to police, Eguia-Garcia was either stopped or driving slowly in a red GMC Sonoma in the 10300 block of North Freeway around 2:30 a.m. when the driver of a  gray Nissan Pathfinder slammed into the back of his truck.

Police said the 20-year-old driver of the Pathfinder got out of his vehicle, and as he walked to Eguia-Garcia's truck, he was hit by a Honda Civic. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Paramedics found Eguia-Garcia passed out inside the truck and were eventually able to get him to respond. It was determined that he showed signs of being intoxicated, police said. 

The drivers of the two Hondas did not show signs of intoxication, police said. A 38-year-old female passenger in the Civic was taken to Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.