Wrong-Way Driver Killed in Fiery Head-On Crash on East Freeway

HOUSTON, TX — A wrong-way crash on the East Freeway early Tuesday morning left one man dead and a 21-year-old woman critically injured, according to Houston police.

The crash happened around 12:55 a.m. at 5400 East Freeway (East Interstate Highway 10).

Investigators with HPD’s Vehicular Crimes Division said the driver of a white Acura NSX was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of the freeway when the vehicle struck a red Kia K5 head-on.

After the impact, the Acura caught fire, crossed three lanes of traffic and came to rest on the northbound side of the freeway. Houston Fire Department crews extinguished the flames and pronounced the male driver dead at the scene.

His identity is pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.

The 21-year-old female driver of the Kia was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.

The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine what led to the wrong-way driving.