The crash happened around 2:30am on Interstate 45 South feeder road at Hartsook, near Edgebrook.
Police said two vehicles were racing inbound on the feeder road. A Chevrolet Trail Blazer attempted to veer in front of the other vehicle and lost control. The sports utility vehicle went sideways, went airborne, and then slammed into a wooden electrical pole on the driver's side.
The impact split the pole in half, knocking the power out from the downed power lines. About 2,200 customers were impacted by the power outage, officials said.
Crews shut down the feeder road and the ramp to the freeway as they cleaned up the mess...
CenterPoint Energy got most of the power back on quickly, but full restoration took a few hours.
The male driver of the SUV died at the scene. The female passenger was airlifted to Memorial Hermann Hospital in serious condition.
Police said the other vehicle they were racing kept going and fled the scene.
