HOUSTON - A pedestrian was struck and killed late Friday night on the East Freeway, and a Houston police officer was injured shortly after when a motorist crashed into a patrol vehicle blocking the accident scene, authorities said.
Fatal auto-pedestrian crash
What we know:
The initial incident happened at 11:55 p.m. Saturday in the 10100 block of the East Freeway (Interstate 10) near Mercury Drive, according to the Houston Police Department.
Investigators said officers initially responded to reports of a pedestrian struck on the eastbound lanes. Police later learned that a white truck belonging to the victim had run out of gas. The man had crossed the freeway to purchase fuel and was struck by a vehicle while walking back to his stranded vehicle.
The driver of the vehicle that hit the pedestrian remained at the scene, cooperated with police, and showed no signs of impairment, investigators said.
Officer injured
As officers shut down the freeway to investigate the fatal crash, a second driver failed to yield and plowed into a marked HPD patrol car parked to block traffic. An officer sitting inside the cruiser at the time was injured and transported to a local hospital. Information on the officer's current condition was not immediately released.
The investigations into both the fatal auto-pedestrian crash and the subsequent collision involving the police cruiser remain ongoing.
The Source: Information in this article is from Houston Police and Onscene.