Driver charged with intoxication manslaughter in crash that killed couple near downtown, HPD says

Monday, October 20, 2025
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A woman has been charged after two people were killed in a fiery crash along the Katy Freeway just after 1 a.m. on Friday, police said.

The video above is from a previous report.

The suspect, Ariel Perry Stewart, 21, is charged with two counts of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle, according to the Houston Police Department.

Police say Steward was speeding in a Tesla with a passenger inside when she rear-ended a Nissan at 2100 Katy Freeway, causing it to burst into flames.

The Tesla continued moving and eventually crashed into the freeway's barriers before coming to a stop, police said.

ORIGINAL REPORT: Driver to be charged with intoxication manslaughter in deadly crash near downtown: DA's office

The crash shut down all inbound lanes of I-10 at the Taylor Street exit for hours.



An HPD lieutenant told ABC13 that the victims in a Nissan were a couple who had just left the gym.

Police said the Nissan was still on fire when first responders arrived on the scene.

The passenger in the Tesla, identified as a 23-year-old woman, was taken to the hospital, HPD said.



Glendy Romero told ABC13 her sister, Bianca Romero, was one of the victims. The identity of the deceased man is pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.

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