A deadly crash on Houston’s I-10 Katy Freeway early Tuesday morning claimed the lives of two men after a wrong-way BMW sedan collided head-on with a Tesla Cybertruck, igniting a fire that shut down lanes near the Washington Avenue and Westcott Street exit.
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Authorities say the first emergency calls came in around 12:05 a.m., reporting a vehicle traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes. According to Houston Police Sergeant Rebecca Dallas, the BMW struck an eastbound Cybertruck heading toward downtown. The impact sent the Cybertruck into the path of an 18-wheeler, which was also traveling eastbound.
The BMW caught fire immediately after the collision, prompting a response from the Houston Fire Department. The BMW’s driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The 66-year-old Cybertruck driver was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition but later died from his injuries. The driver of the 18-wheeler remained at the scene and was not injured.
Police have not yet determined why the BMW driver was traveling the wrong way or whether impairment or a medical emergency played a role in the crash.
The fiery collision caused a full closure of the eastbound lanes of the Katy Freeway for several hours as investigators and cleanup crews worked to clear the scene.
Authorities continue to investigate the crash and are asking witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage to contact the Houston Police Department’s Vehicular Crimes Division.
Do you think wrong-way detection systems and automated emergency braking could help prevent tragedies like this one?
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