4 Houston wrecks claim 5 lives during Easter weekend

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Five people died during the weekend of April 15-17 in several crashes throughout the Houston area.

The first occurred at about 6 p.m. Friday. Officials were trying to pull over a vehicle involved in reckless driving on South Gessner Road near Sam Houston Parkway when the suspect, identified as Damian West, tried to flee.

During the high-speed chase, West ran through a red light on Hempstead near West Little York Road and struck at least five vehicles, according to local authorities. The driver of one of those vehicles tragically died. Another woman suffered serious injuries and is in critical condition.

At about noon the next day, a 16-year-old girl and 19-year-old girl were crossing Martin Luther King Boulevard at Reed Road when a 20-year-old driver hit the 19-year-old with her vehicle. The vehicle then hit a pole and bus stop before catching fire.

Officials pronounced the 19-year-old dead at the scene of the crash. The 16-year-old did not suffer injuries. Emergency response personnel transported the 20-year-old and a 2-year-old child in her vehicle to a local hospital with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening.

About 11 p.m. that evening, a man and woman died after they were ejected from a car that collided with an Amtrak train near Beaumont Highway and Van Hut Lane. Local authorities said the train crossing lights, sound, and arms were activated at the crossing when the vehicle reportedly attempted to go around a vehicle stopped for the train and cut through the arms.

Eighty-three passengers were aboard the Amtrak when the crash occurred. Only one suffered minor injuries.

Less than an hour later, a motorcycle and Nissan Pathfinder crashed on southbound State Highway 6. Emergency personnel rushed the motorcyclist to a hospital, but he did not survive.

All of the crashes are actively under investigation. Authorities have not yet released the names of the victims or any of the other individuals involved.

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