HOUSTON – Officials have cleared the scene and reopened the freeway after a fatal accident shut down US 59 northbound at Hillcroft Street.
The Houston Police Department said an 18-wheeler struck a man crossing the highway at the 6300 block of the Southwest Freeway near Westpark around 1:30 a.m.
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According to police, the driver of the 18-wheeler felt that he had hit an object, but was unsure what it was. He thought he might have had a flat tire, so he pulled over to check out the front of the truck. He did not see anything and kept driving.
Investigators said the truck driver continued to travel until he reached his stop. This is when he checked the front of the 18-wheeler for the second time and found part of a body under the vehicle. He had been driving for about 22 miles, nearly 30 minutes, before he made the discovery.
Police told Channel 2 they were not sure where the person was trying to go when he was hit and killed. The victim's identity is yet unknown.
Authorities are trying to determine if alcohol was a contributing factor in this accident.