HPD officer hits and kills pedestrian on I-10 East Freeway near Wayside, police say

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A man is dead after a Houston police officer hit and killed him as he walked across the I-10 East Freeway near Wayside Drive early Friday morning, investigators said.

The eastbound lanes of I-10 were closed for hours as crews investigated the deadly crash. The freeway fully reopened just before 7:30 a.m., according to TxDOT.

The deadly crash happened at 2 a.m., Houston police said.

HPD's Vehicular Crimes Unit said an officer, who was on duty, was headed to a non-emergency call on the westbound lanes of the East Freeway near Wayside Drive.

At some point, the officer hit something on the road. His airbags deployed and he stopped the patrol unit, according to HPD.

The officer got out to inspect the car, and that's when police said he saw a body beside his vehicle.

Investigators suspect the 35-year-old victim was walking on the freeway when he was hit. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

"At this point, all we know so far, is that the vehicle struck the pedestrian. HFD was called. HFD pronounced the person deceased," Asst. Chief E. Garcia said.

Investigators said it appears the patrol unit was the only vehicle to hit the pedestrian.

The officer who hit the pedestrian is a sergeant in the northeast patrol division and has been with the department for 30 years, HPD said.

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