At 5:38 am this morning, a minivan was traveling southbound on I-45 with seven occupants. The driver blew a tire out and pulled to the left shoulder, which is not the full width of a vehicle. A Chevrolet pickup 2500 with a lone driver traveling in the HOV Lane, which is designated for at least two persons, slammed into the van, ripping it open. South County Fire arrived on the scene along with MCHD. Two persons who had been ejected were already deceased. A third victim was in cardiac arrest, and after attempts to save them failed, they were pronounced deceased on the scene. Four other occupants from the van were transported to Memorial Hermann in the Texas Medical Center. All but one suffered minor injuries. The fourth, an 11-year-old child was seriously injured. The driver of the pickup was transported as a precaution to Memorial Hermann in The Woodlands. With MCSO closing the freeway, DPS investigated the crash. The Montgomery County Medical Examiner responded to the scene and requested Eickenhorst Funeral Directors transport the victims to the Montgomery County Forensic Center for autopsy. The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office is also assisting in the investigation.
