“Kudos to everyone that acted swiftly and heroically to assist the man in the burning vehicle; including our deputies and wrecker drivers,” the sheriff said.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — An investigation is underway after a wrong-way driver died in a fiery crash on the Tomball Parkway early Saturday morning, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
The crash happened in the southbound lanes of the freeway near Jones Road shortly before 1:40 a.m.
Gonzalez said the wrong-way driver was heading north in the southbound lanes when he slammed head-on into another driver. The wrong-way driver died at the scene.
The car that wrong-way driver crashed into burst into flames, according to the sheriff. The other driver was rushed to a hospital with what Gonzalez called major injuries.
The sheriff said three deputies suffered minor injuries trying to rescue the driver of the burning car.
“Kudos to everyone that acted swiftly and heroically to assist the man in the burning vehicle; including our deputies and wrecker drivers,” Gonzalez said on social media.
What to do if you see a wrong-way driver heading toward you
These four tips are from the Houston Police Department to help keep you safe from wrong-way drivers.
- First, stay alert with your eyes looking ahead and down the road for potential problems.
- Second, at night, try to stay in the right lane, as wrong-way drivers are likely to be driving in the left-most lane.
- Third, if a wrong-way driver is headed towards you, slow down, move to the shoulder, and then call 911.
- Police say your job is to save yourself and not try to stop the wrong-way driver.
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