A woman out with her friends in downtown Houston died when she lost consciousness, fell to the street, and was hit by a passing 18-wheeler, police said Friday.
The Houston Police Department said the driver behind the wheel of the truck drove away from the scene in the 900 block of Franklin Street near Travis but appeared to be unaware that anyone was hit.
HPD Commander Reece Hardy said the incident unfolded at about 7 p.m., when the victim’s friend told police she wasn’t feeling well and was close to the street. The woman then collapsed on the roadway at the same moment that the passing truck’s back axle hit the victim.
The woman, who police believe to be in her 20s, died at the scene.
Hardy said it didn’t appear that the driver was trying to flee the scene and may have actually been unaware of what happened.
However, the truck didn’t have any logos or writing on it. Hardy said it’s a very new truck that’s gray in the front with a clear white trailer. Police are working to see if any TxDOT serial numbers were on the vehicle, and they urged whichever company may own the truck to contact HPD’s Vehicular Crimes Division.
Hardy added it’ll be up to the investigation to determine the driver’s culpability as police search for the truck.
In the meantime, police shut down the intersection as photos and measurements were being taken.
Houston police began investigating what was reported as a truck crash with a fatality in the area of Franklin and Travis streets on Sept. 22, 2023.
