It happened near Bingle Road around 2:40 a.m. in the eastbound lanes.
A cargo van was traveling on the freeway when it crashed into the rear of a moving cement truck, according to Houston police.
The van burst into flames and was fully engulfed with someone inside when police arrived.
The cement truck was traveling between 40 and 50 mph on the freeway at the time of impact, Houston Police Lt. Ronnie Wilkins said.
Traffic on the freeway was light at the time of the crash, according to investigators.
The freeway was reopened to traffic several hours later.
Police weren't able to identify the victim's gender or age because of the severity of the crash and fire.