Milby High School student's body pulled from Brays Bayou after vehicle plunged off bridge

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A Milby High School student's body was pulled from Brays Bayou on Monday afternoon several hours after the vehicle she was in plunged off a bridge in east Houston.

The victim was one of three teens who were occupants of the vehicle that authorities say lost control, took out a guardrail, and went off a bridge in the 100 block of Broadway near Hockley Street.

Two of the teens, a boy and a girl, managed to free themselves and make it to safety as the vehicle submerged, first responders confirmed. The male fled the scene but Houston police eventually talked to him.

"With teenagers, I'm sure there was a lot of panic and we need to piece that together to determine what happened from the time of the incident to when we spoke to them," said HPD Commander Megan Howard.

HPD's Crash Reconstruction Unit will help with the investigation, which will include determining who was driving and what led up to the crash. The damage to the guardrail indicates "significant speed," Howard said.

Family and friends looked on as the girl's body and the car were pulled from the water.

Monday was HISD's second to last day of school and an early dismissal day at Milby High School. The crash happened just before 1 p.m. about a mile from the school.

Principal Ruth Pena sent this message to parents and students:

"This is an important message for Milby parents and students from Principal Pena. I have sad news to report to you. One of our students died today while off-campus. As you can imagine, this is a terribly difficult time for our school community. As such, counselors will be available on campus to provide support to students and staff and answer any questions they might have. They will remain available for as long as they are needed. Again, this is an important message for Milby parents and students from Principal Pena."

HFD Deputy Chief James Pennington said the surviving female had a broken arm. SkyEye was over the rescue scene and captured her also in a neck brace. The male's condition is unknown.

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