18-year-old killed and teen brother injured when car splits in half in east Houston crash

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Police are investigating a crash in east Houston that killed an 18-year-old driver and injured his teen brother.

The crash happened around 3:42 a.m. on the East Freeway eastbound at Uvalde, shutting down three feeder lanes for hours.

Police said the 18-year-old was driving a green Saturn with his teen brother in the passenger seat. The 18-year-old drove off the road and onto the feeder, crashing into the freeway sign pole, where the car was split in half.

The driver was ejected. His brother was found in another part of the car when it split. He survived and was taken to Texas Children's Hospital.

When asked about whether the driver was wearing a seat belt, Houston Police Department Sgt. David Rose said, "Not sure. I suspect the driver was not. I believe the passenger was wearing a seat belt."

Rose said he does not believe alcohol played a factor in the crash, but they are not sure if the driver was speeding.

Follow ABC13 Reporter Courtney Fischer on Twitter and Facebook.