Woman hit and killed by Houston police vehicle on Southwest Freeway feeder road
Woman hit and killed by Houston police vehicle along Southwest Freeway feeder road
The Houston Police Department says a pedestrian died after she was struck by a patrol unit on the way to a call.
HOUSTON - A woman was hit and killed by a Houston Police Department patrol vehicle as two officers were responding to a call, officials say.
The crash occurred in the 11500 block of the Southwest Freeway feeder road near Wilcrest around 12:18 a.m. Tuesday.
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According to police, the officers were traveling along the feeder road when the woman stepped off the curb and was struck by the patrol vehicle.
Officials say the Houston Fire Department responded and attempted to provide medical assistance, but the woman died at the scene.
The woman’s identity has not been released, but police said she may be in her 40s.
"We have a witness that has said she’s possibly a homeless person who lives in the area," said HPD Assistant Chief Wyatt Martin. "I don’t know whether she was crossing the road to go back to where she normally sleeps or if she just stepped out into the roadway not realizing the vehicle was coming. We don’t really know why she was in the roadway."
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Police say the officers were responding to a double shooting call, but the type of call did not require the vehicle’s lights and sirens to be on.
The driver is said to have been with the department for about two years, and the passenger for one year.
"It's not anything anyone ever wants to deal with in your career. You never want to end up in a situation where someone gets hurt," Assistant Chief Martin said. "So obviously they're a little shaken, but we've got everybody here to support them as well. And obviously our prayers are both with the officers and the family of this individual. It's just a tragic situation."
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Per protocol, the officers involved in the crash will be placed on administrative duty until they go through a process to get recertified to go back on the street, officials say.
The investigation is still underway. The Houston Police Department and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office are conducting parallel investigations.