Driver killed in head-on wreck with big rig

HOUSTON The accident shut down the East Loop for several hours Friday morning. According to Houston police, witnesses reported a driver in a pickup truck driving northbound in the southbound lanes around 4:30am. The driver of that truck was eventually struck by an 18-wheeler near Gellhorn, killing the driver of the pickup truck.

Just before the wreck, the big rig apparently swerved to try to avoid the oncoming truck, but the pickup swerved in the same direction, slamming head-on into the 18-wheeler.

The pickup truck driver, identified as Moises Jesus Martinez, 23, was killed. The driver of the 18-wheeler was not hurt. The medical examiner will determine if alcohol was a factor.