According to the Houston Police Department, officers identified the alleged drunk driver of the Ford F-150 as Rene Hernandez, 21, who is facing two counts of murder.
The crash happened near Smith Street and Elgin, police said.
Officials said a Precinct 7 deputy was in pursuit of a black Ford F-150 whose driver was allegedly running red lights. Prior to that, investigators said the driver hit two separate vehicles near the Wells Fargo parking lot in the 2700 block of Smith.
At one point, the driver ran another red light at Smith and Elgin and T-boned a white Lexus.
"The Lexus spun out and slammed up against one of the buildings, caught fire, and unfortunately, the occupants of that vehicle died here on the scene," Houston police Sgt. Thomas Fendia said.
Video captured by a bystander shows a Houston fireman attempting to extinguish the vehicle, which caused traffic to divert.
Witnesses told ABC13 it all happened so quickly.
"All of a sudden, I heard a loud noise, extremely loud noise," a witness said. "Because when I went on my patio, I didn't see a fire, but by the time I got downstairs, just that quickly the fire occurred. The car was engulfed with flames."
HPD said the F-150's driver had slurred speech and was believed to have shown signs of intoxication. He was arrested at the scene.
"If at any point in time, you're in a commission of a felony, and cause any kind of death that is an instantaneous murder charge," Sgt. Fendia said.
A woman inside the F-150 was also taken to the hospital. At this time, police said she is not in custody and could be facing charges later.
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