Just after 2:00 P.M. as the rains came through three vehicles were involved in a crash on US 59 southbound over Northpark. Houston Police responded as did Porter Fire Department and Precinct 4 deputies. As Houston worked that crash another took place a short distance behind the initial crash. A vehicle pulling a trailer and another vehicle crashed, flipping the trailer.
Within minutes the freeway was at almost a stand still. That’s when the driver of an 18-wheeler hauling several large steel pipes weighing eleven-hundred pounds each approached the scene. Traveling to fast for conditions he saw an he was going to be unable to avoid a crash. Being in the center lane te driver tried to take evasive action but his loaded trailer would not cooperate.
The truck slammed into the rear of an F-150 pickup loaded with cases of cellular phone accessories in the bed. The force of the impact sent the truck almost one-hundred-fifty feet down the road and to the feeder. The force was so great that the force broke the seatback of the seat belted driver. That driver was transported to Hermann Hospital in Houston in critical condition.
The 18-wheeler then veered to the left, his trailer and a piece of loaded pipe struck the rear of a Toyota mini-van with a family including three small children from Louisiana in the rear. The force crushed the rear of the van and pushed it into a new motor home that was stopped for traffic. The three children ages 2 to 4 were in child safety seats in the rear of the van. The van basically wrapped around them. Even with the extensive damage the entire family was ok but was transported to Kingwood Hospital as a precaution.
The 18-wheeler then went between the center concrete wall and the new motor home where another piece of pipe struck the motorhome. That motor home, owned by Humble newlyweds was only two-weeks old. They were returning from a weekend trip.
Several other pieces of pipe broke free of the safety straps. One young lady was struck in her car but was not injured.
As Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies and Houston Police closed the freeway at the southbound Northpark exit ramp other assisted DPS with the accident. Cell Phone accessories littered the highway, some broken but many were still intact. Before the decision was made to clear the remaining cars stuck between the Northpark ramp and the scene many were seen picking up the accessories which were mostly chargers for cellphones.
Wreckers started loading cars as others loaded sections of pipe to get them off the freeway. The freeway was reopened just after 5 p.m.
The accident is still under investigation by DPS Trooper Lopez.
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