HOUSTON – One person is dead following a crash in southwest Harris County.
The accident happened around 3:38 a.m. Saturday on Alief Clodine Road and Howell Sugar Land Road near Westpark Tollway and Highway 6, according to authorities.
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Authorities said Alexander Villanueva was heading westbound on Alief Clodine in his Dodge Ram truck when the left, back tire of the Dodge was struck by the front right panel of a Lexus also heading westbound.
Villanueva lost control of his vehicle and swerved into the center median, where the left, back portion of the truck hit a tree. The truck then rotated off the tree and hit a second tree with its right side, causing that tree to break off at the base, authorities said.
According to authorities, the driver of the Lexus hit the brakes and skidded while trying to avoid hitting the Dodge or the debris from the tree. However, that driver also lost control of the Lexus, went into the center median and the left front side crashed into the same initial tree as the Dodge, authorities said. That driver did not survive the impact.
Villanueva initially fled the scene but returned back to the scene nearly an hour following the incident, authorities said. Officials determined Villanueva was intoxicated at the time of the accident and was charged with DWI and failure to stop and render aid.
The identity of the Lexus driver has not yet been released.