The crash happened just before 9 p.m. Sunday in the 13800 block of West Cypress Forest Drive near Grant and Jones roads.
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Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the driver of a newer-model Ford Explorer was likely speeding when he left the roadway and hit the woman, who was walking along the street.
The car then hit a house, pinning the woman. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
A photo from the scene shows the Explorer crushed from the impact, covered in insulation and bricks from the home.
The homeowner, Jerome Portele, told ABC13 he was sitting in the next room watching TV when he heard a loud bang.
Eyewitness News reporter Alex Bozarjian asked at what point did he realize someone had died in the crash.
"When they told me to come out of the house because it was a murder scene," Portele said.
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Gonzalez said the woman was identified as 44-year-old Carolee Dwer. Friends told investigators that Dwer was visiting from out of town, and Sunday was her first day in the area.
Deputies said the driver, identified as 33-year-old Joshua Ivie, was armed with a pistol when he fled on foot after the crash. K9 deputies were able to track him down and arrest him about a mile away.
A father of four who was with his children at the time says he went to check on Ivie.
"Cause it was a hard impact, he ignored me. He started walking, and I said, 'Hey you can't leave. This is an accident scene.' That's when he turned around, picked up his shirt, and told me, 'You better back off,'" Josiah Cantu, who lives nearby, said.
Ivie was charged with failure to stop and render aid (death) and felon in possession of a weapon.
Gonzalez said it doesn't appear there were any passengers with Ivie in the Explorer, though investigators did find two child car seats inside.
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Repairs have already started on Portele's house.
He says he's lived in the home for five decades and even drew the floor plan. Seeing it like this, he said, is heartbreaking.
"I raised a family here," Portele said with tears.
According to court documents, Ivie has multiple previous convictions across the state, including assault of a family member, car theft, and burglary.