Houston wrong-way crash: Driver charged with intoxication manslaughter

HOUSTON - A driver has been charged in a deadly wrong way crash on I-45 in Houston on Thursday morning.

Houston driver charged with intoxication manslaughter

What we know:

Police say 32-year-old Monica Rosenda Valdez has been charged with intoxication manslaughter.

Police say Valdez was driving a pickup truck the wrong way on the I-45 North Freeway around 3:15 a.m. when she struck a Jeep Cherokee and a Toyota Camry near Crosstimbers.

The driver of the Jeep died at the scene. Police identified him as 56-year-old Steve Nartey.

The driver of the Toyota was treated at the scene.

Police say Valdez, who was taken to the hospital, was found to be intoxicated.

What we don't know:

It’s unclear exactly where the driver got on the freeway in the wrong direction, but police say based on several calls, she may have been going the wrong way for about 10 to 15 minutes.

What's next:

Once Valdez is released from the hospital, she will be booked into the Harris County Jail. 

Drunk driving crackdown for Super Bowl weekend

Big picture view:

Impaired driving fatalities are not just a problem in Houston, but across the nation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says one person dies about every 39 minutes in a drunk driving crash, based on 2022 data.

With Super Bowl weekend coming up, the Texas Department of Public Safety and other agencies are reminding fans to drive responsibly and have a plan in place if you’re going to drink.

Texas DPS says troopers will be increasing patrols on Sunday as part of the nationwide Crash Awareness and Reduction Effort initiative. They will be looking for drivers who break the law, including driving under the influence, speeding and not wearing a seatbelt.

What they're saying:

Mothers Against Drunk Driving advocate Robyn Bloem says she lost her daughter Lindsay Bloem Hoover on Sept. 11, 2001 to a driver who was under the influence of heroin.

Bloom wants people to know what’s at stake when you get behind the wheel impaired.

"It absolutely changes everything. And we have three sons. They were all, they were 11, 16 and 21. And in our family, I saw the family implode in a way," Bloem said. "It’s very simple. I mean, it’s nothing new. If you’re going to drink, then have somebody drive you if you’re going home. Or stay where you were watching the game. Don’t assume you’re ok, because chances are you’re not."