Passenger killed in rear-end crash on Southwest Freeway after driver stopped to retrieve bumper, HPD says

HOUSTON – One person was killed and another seriously injured early Sunday in a two-vehicle crash on the Southwest Freeway near the Chimney Rock Road exit, according to the Houston Police Department.

Officers were called to the inbound lanes around 1:45 a.m. after an Acura and a gray Ford Mustang were involved in a collision. Investigators said the Acura’s driver had pulled onto the shoulder after the car lost its bumper and the driver got out in an attempt to retrieve it. While the Acura was stopped, police said it was struck from behind by the Mustang.

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The Acura driver was taken to Ben Taub Hospital with a punctured lung, investigators said. A passenger in the Acura was pronounced dead at the scene, and officials were still working to confirm the passenger’s identity.

Investigators said there were signs of intoxication involving the 20-year-old woman who was driving the Mustang. Police said they were obtaining a search warrant for a blood draw to determine the driver’s level of impairment.

Officials said they did not believe any other crime was involved beyond the crash, and the District Attorney’s Office was responding to the scene. The investigation remains ongoing.