Multiple wrong-way drivers caught on Houston highways

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - It’s a scary sight. A car seen swerving out of the way as another heads toward it. Video that was taken just before 1 a.m. June 6 shows when the driver of a red car travels north in the southbound lanes of the North Freeway near the Crosstimbers exit. Luckily, police were able to stop the driver and then arrest her for driving while intoxicated.

"They shut off the freeway from preventing a head-on collision," says Lieutenant S. Reece with the Houston Police Department DWI task force. "They were able to stop oncoming traffic although there were some close near misses in the process, but we were very fortunate tonight there was not a head-on collision.”

Dashboard camera video shows another driver being arrested for allegedly driving the wrong way down State Highway 249, crashing into a patrol vehicle with a deputy inside.

“The suspect in the case, immediately after crashing, began to back up and leave the scene," says Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman. "Investigators say Noelvin Rodriguez hit the deputy and was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. Luckily for us, there was another officer, police officer, that actually witnessed the accident and basically pulled behind the suspect. Our deputy and that off-duty officer was able to take him into custody without incident.”

"In this case, it was good that it was one of our deputies and not the average citizen and even with our deputies stopping at the road, this suspect could’ve veered around the deputy but when we have these impaired drivers, they fixate on whatever the object is and in this case, veered straight towards the deputy.”

Still with everything that’s happened lately, Constable Herman encourages everyone to pay attention and always be aware of your surroundings. 

“If you see an impaired driver, by all means, call 911 and report it," added Constable Herman. "Let us come out and do our jobs.”