Houston crash on Southwest Freeway at Kirby leaves 1 dead, 3 injured
A crash on the US-59 Southwest Freeway at Kirby Drive in Houston.
HOUSTON - A man is dead and three other people are in the hospital after a series of crashes on a Houston freeway Wednesday morning.
The southbound lanes of the U.S. 59 Southwest Freeway have reopened at Kirby Drive after being shut down for hours during the investigation.
Chain-reaction crashes
The incident began around 2 a.m. when a vehicle struck a barrier on the freeway. Police say the vehicle came to a stop in a moving lane of traffic, and the driver got out of the vehicle.
A second driver did not see the first vehicle and ended up crashing into it, police say.
The driver of the first vehicle jumped from the elevated portion of the freeway and landed on Greenbriar below, police say.
A third vehicle then crashed into the second vehicle.
1 dead, 3 injured
The driver of the first vehicle, who jumped from the bridge, was taken to the hospital, police say. He was reportedly unresponsive and in critical condition. Police say medical personnel indicated that he showed signs of impairment.
The driver of the second vehicle died at the scene.
Two people were in the third vehicle. They were both taken to the hospital and are expected to survive their injuries.
Investigation continues
Police cleared the scene and reopened the roadway around 5:45 a.m., but the investigation continues.
Authorities will determine if the driver who struck the barrier was impaired.
As the investigation continues, authorities will determine if anyone will face charges. The case could be presented to a grand jury.
The Source: The information in this article is from the Houston Police Department.