Most commuters know that Friday night rush hour traffic can be a nightmare. Unfortunately, for one Houston commuter the commute turned tragic after he was thrown from his SUV when it was rear-ended on a Harris County freeway.
Around 6 pm on a Friday night on Interstate 45, near Spring Cypress, a Ford Explorer was headed northbound when it was hit from behind on by a Ford F-250 pickup. The impact of the collision caused the Ford Explorer to roll over several times, throwing the 68-year-old driver from the sports utility vehicle.
The 68-year-old Harris County man died at the scene of the fatal car accident. No other injuries were reported as part of the North Freeway crash.
Eyewitnesses told law enforcement officials from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office that the SUV, which had been in the left lane of the freeway, had come to a sudden stop or was moving slowly before the crash occurred. It is unknown how fast the pickup truck was driving at the time of the accident. Officials continue to investigate the crash.
There have been problems before with inconsistent speed on North Freeway. As with many freeways during rush hour, drivers may be traveling 60 or 70 miles per hour when traffic backs up. When traveling at higher speeds, it is difficult to stop when traffic suddenly slows. On the other hand, driving 35 miles per hour when the flow of traffic is 60 miles an hour can prove deadly as well. It is important for all drivers to carefully monitor the flow of traffic and drive accordingly.
Source: The Houston Chronicle, “SUV driver killed on North Freeway,” 9/9/11.