1 dead, 1 in critical condition after separate accidents on the North Freeway

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- One person is dead after a two-vehicle accident this morning on the North Freeway northbound at Louetta in north Harris County.

In that accident, a car was approaching FM2920 around 2am on the North Freeway went it veered off to the far right side of the road and hit a guardrail.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office tells us the car spun out of control and stopped in the far right hand lane with the driver side facing oncoming traffic. When the driver, Venancio Cortes Jr., got out of the car, other drivers tried to help him out, but a pickup truck driver approaching the scene didn't see the car and hit it with the Cortes inside. Cortes of the car was killed in the crash.

A passenger in the pickup truck was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition. The driver of the pickup was not injured and was allowed to leave the scene.

The crash is under investigation by HCSO.

That accident is not too far from another accident on the North Freeway at Grand Parkway. Harris County authorities tell us that accident happened under the Highway 99 underpass. A man in an SUV rear-ended another vehicle and when he got out of the vehicle to check on the other people in the other car, he was struck by a passing vehicle.

Authorities tell us he apparently died on the scene, but was revived by medical personnel on the scene and taken to the hospital in very critical condition.