- The BMW sedan hit the Cybertruck, pushing it into an 18-wheeler.
- Police are investigating if the BMW driver was impaired that night.
- More than 230 people were injured in wrong-way crashes last year.
Crashes on Houston’s busy freeways are an unfortunate reality of city life, and one earlier this week proved especially tragic. The driver of a BMW was killed, and the driver of a Tesla Cybertruck died in hospital after the two vehicles collided in Houston, Texas.
Shockingly, police say the BMW’s driver had mistakenly entered the freeway, traveling the wrong way after driving down an exit ramp and heading westbound in the eastbound lanes.
Watch: Cybertruck Ripped In Half By A Mercedes Built Like A Tank
The crash occurred around midnight on October 28 along the I-10 Katy Freeway. According to police, the BMW, whose specific model hasn’t been identified, slammed into the Cybertruck and burst into flames almost instantly. The force of the impact also pushed the Tesla into an 18-wheeler.
Initially, it was only the driver of the BMW who was declared dead on the scene, and the driver of the Cybertruck was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition. Sadly, the Tesla driver succumbed to their injuries.
Houston Police Department Sgt. Rebecca Dallas told KHOU that the BMW driver had entered the freeway in the opposite direction, ignoring multiple Do Not Enter and Wrong Way signs along the ramp.
Investigators are expected to conduct an autopsy of the BMW driver to see if they were impaired at the time of the collision. The name of the driver who caused the crash hasn’t been released. However, the driver of the Cybertruck has been confirmed as a 38-year-old father of two young children.
Accidents Like This Are Far Too Common
Accidents like this are far from rare. More than 1100 wrong-way fatalities have been recorded across Harris County in the past decade, and last year alone, 233 people were injured in similar incidents throughout the area. Clearly, something needs to be done to reduce these numbers.
Local authorities may need to explore a combination of measures, from adding more signage to exit ramps to enhancing driver education. Small changes could go a long way toward preventing future tragedies on Houston’s highways.
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