Early Friday a man was killed and his 2 children were injured when his 18-wheeler truck ran off of Interstate 45 and struck a guardrail and a pillar before tipping over and bursting into flames. Authorities say that the father lost control of the truck prior to the collision.
One of the children, age 5, was ejected from the truck, and pulled his younger brother, age 2, from the flaming wreckage. A witness who was working at a nearby hotel reportedly saw the crash and ran to the scene to help. When he arrived he saw the 5-year-old running around while the 2-year-old laid on the street. The witness stayed with the kids until police arrived.
The 2-year-old was brought to Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital after suffering severe burns. The 5-year-old boy was also transported to the hospital, but only suffered minor injuries. Both are expected to be okay.
The 5-year-old told police that the mother was driving ahead of the father and the boys in an RV. The family was apparently moving to Galveston.
Authorities have not determined a direct cause for why the father lost control of the truck. They are also unsure if the boys were wearing seatbelts or in car seats.
