HOUSTON – A man was killed Monday night after being hit by an SUV on the East Freeway in Houston, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the crash happened around 9:21 p.m. Monday in the 15000 block of the East Freeway.
When deputies arrived, EMS crews were already at the scene and pronounced the victim dead. Authorities described the victim as a Hispanic man in his 30s.
According to witnesses, the man was walking in the inside lane of the freeway heading westbound when he was hit by a black Chevrolet Suburban SUV.
Investigators said the SUV initially pulled over after the crash, but then left the scene.
Later, the driver contacted the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and admitted he had hit something, authorities said. Deputies then met with the driver and interviewed him.
Sheriff’s investigators do not believe alcohol was a factor in the crash.
A nearby security guard told deputies that homeless people often stay around a hotel in the area and sometimes cross the freeway as a shortcut to get to a nearby QuikTrip gas station.
While deputies said they have seen homeless people in the area before, they could not confirm whether the victim was homeless.
The investigation is ongoing. No other details have been released.