Police suspect driver in wrong-way crash on E. Freeway may have been drinking
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston police say a man who may have been drinking is in critical condition after driving the wrong way on the East Freeway and crashing into a barrier.
Eyewitness News reporter Foti Kallergis is live at the scene with updates on the next steps of the investigation.
Authorities say it happened around 2 a.m. on I-10 east at Market Street where the driver was heading eastbound in the westbound lanes. Police received 911 calls about a driver going the wrong way.
Before officers arrived, the man crashed into a concrete barrier on the part of the freeway that is under construction.
The man, who was pinned inside the vehicle, suffered severe injuries. He was flown to the hospital.
A woman who was a passenger in the vehicle suffered minor injuries. She was also taken to the hospital and is expected to survive.
Police say she told them that both she and the driver had been drinking.
"We definitely suspect alcohol. She reported she had a few beers and the driver had a whole lot of beers. There's also the fact he was going the wrong way on the freeway," said Sgt. S. Wolverton with the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
The names and ages of the people injured in the crash have not yet been released. Their vehicle was the only one involved.
"I encourage drivers to avoid the left hand lane late at night. Most wrong-way drivers end up in the left hand lane," said Wolverton.
