Driver Killed, Passenger Injured After Dodge Challenger Crashes Into Tree on Katy Freeway

A man is dead and a woman injured following a single-vehicle crash early Tuesday morning, May 27, 2025, along the Katy Freeway.

At approximately 1:45 a.m., 26-year-old David Wilkins Jr. was driving a black 2023 Dodge Challenger westbound in the 21500 block of the Katy Freeway when he exited at Mason Road and drove into an area of standing water caused by recent heavy rainfall.

Authorities say Wilkins was traveling at an unsafe speed for the roadway conditions. He lost control of the vehicle, veered off the road into a grassy median, and struck a tree on the left front and side of the car.

Wilkins was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger in the front seat, identified as Jocelyn Jacome, was transported to Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital and is listed in stable condition.

According to Ms. Jacome, she had recently met Wilkins. She told investigators that when he picked her up, he smelled of alcohol and had been driving recklessly.

The investigation into the crash is ongoing.