Child among 4 dead in separate crashes less than mile apart on I-10, Harris County deputies say

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A child was killed during a hit-and-run crash on I-10, less than a mile away from a separate deadly wreck caused by a wrong-way driver, HCSO says.

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The Harris County Sheriff's Office said a driver going the wrong way on the East Freeway crashed at about 12 a.m. on Sunday.

The driver hit another vehicle head-on near Freeport Street, prompting both cars to catch on fire, according to deputies.

Captain McConnell said the wrong-way driver and a passenger were killed, but it is unclear which vehicle the passenger was in.

The driver of the other vehicle was taken to the hospital in serious condition and is undergoing surgery.

"(Wrong-way crashes) seem to be an issue with our department, or our county, our state, our nation, when people get in vehicles and don't think of other drivers on the roadway," McConnell said. "I don't know if intoxication played a part in this, but more than 50% of our fatal (crashes) on our roads that we investigate have intoxication as a leading factor in the cause. So, I would assume this would be intoxication-related."

McConnell urges drivers to think twice before getting behind the wheel.

"I just beg the people out there who are listening to think of other people before they get behind the wheel. There are other options: rideshares, taxis, there's designated drivers, there's friends - other options. If you know this family, reach out. If you don't know them, pray for them," he said.

Less than a mile away, another crash left two more people dead, including an 11-year-old girl.

The Houston Police Department said the wreck happened at about 1:52 a.m.

Investigators said it started with a minor crash between two vehicles at about 1:17 a.m., prompting the occupants to get out on the shoulder of I-10.

Another vehicle crashed into them, flipped, and killed two people, according to police.

Two others were taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Police said the suspected driver ran away on foot, leaving a 16-year-old girl in his vehicle at the scene. Investigators said she was uninjured and stayed with police.

Authorities are searching for the hit-and-run driver, but haven't released a description of the the suspect.