Homeless man killed in hit-and-run crash in north Harris County
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A homeless man was killed Monday morning in a hit-and-run crash in north Harris County.
According to Harris County sheriff's deputies, the man was struck by a car around 6:10 a.m. while he was walking in the 1800 block of Hopper Road near Exeter Street.
The hit-and-run driver was traveling westbound on Hopper when they hit the man and fled the scene, deputies said. Now, investigators are looking for video and witnesses.
"Right now, if anybody could come out, have any kind of information, that would help us out a lot," Sgt. Dennis Castanie said.
Neighbors told ABC13 reporter TJ Parker that street racing has been an ongoing issue in the neighborhood.
"At nighttime, it's a free-for-all. The drag racing, the shooting, all of that. Anything goes," Dana Jones, who lives on Hopper Street, said. "You do not come over here at nighttime because you are subject to get ran over."
Sgt. Castanie said deputies know speeding in the area is an issue as well.
"It looks like there's a lot of burn outs, as far as going in circles out here in the intersections," he said. "And we have calls out here, to come out. And we've actually had deputies come out and sit on that."
Despite the area's reputation, investigators do not believe street racing was necessarily a factor in the deadly hit-and-run crash.
"I would think probably not," Sgt. Castanie said. "The speed and the vault on the body was probably about 50 feet, so they were probably doing close or a little over the speed limit."
Deputies described the man killed as being between 40 and 50 years old.
Jones said neighbors in the area are familiar with him.
"He'll cut your yard, do little odd jobs for you. That's who he is," she said. "Nice guy."
