Houston Crews Extricate Woman in Crash that Avoided Racers
A family of three was pulled from their mangled pickup after it careened off a North Freeway overpass trying to avoid illegal street racers late Thursday, Houston police say.
The driver of the truck was northbound on Interstate 45 near Little York Road around 10:30 p.m. when two cars began weaving in and out of traffic while racing each other, according to Houston Police Lt. M.L. Barrow. The pickup was not involved in the race.
At least two other innocent drivers also tried to swerve out of the way of the speeding cars, which is when those two and the pickup collided – sending the pickup crashing over the concrete barrier to Little York below, Barrow said.
Good Samaritans who witnessed the crash ran to help and pulled an infant and a man from inside the pickup, while firefighters had to use special tools to pry open the mangled wreckage and free a woman from inside. All three were taken to nearby hospitals but are expected to survive.
Nobody from inside the two vehicles that crashed on the freeway was injured, although one of those cars burst into flames.
“These street racers are chaos,” Barrow said. “They are brainless and [have] no concept of the destruction and problems they’re causing in our community. People could have been killed here today.”
Shimara Mitchell was one of the good Samaritans who pulled the child and man to safety.
“It was nothing but God,” Mitchell said. “That baby was unharmed and smiled at me.”
The racing cars fled.
Anyone with information is urged to call Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).
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