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14-year-old driver killed as family and Pearland police try to stop him on busy highway

PEARLAND, TX – A 14-year-old driver was hit and killed on Highway 288 late Thursday as police and another car with family members tried to get him to stop.

The teen crashed into a cement divider, got out of the car and ran off. He was hit and killed running across lanes on the other side of the highway, according to police.

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Here’s what unfolded:

The teen took his mom’s car and drove off.

Police say they first saw him run a red light on County Place Parkway in Pearland.

That’s when they started to pursue him onto Highway 288.

Meanwhile, family members in another car flagged down an officer and also started following the 14-year-old.

The teenager crashed into the concrete divider on the northbound side of the highway near Beltway 8, police said.

When he ran across the highway to the southbound side, police say they lost track of him.

Minutes later, officers found out there’d been a report of someone hit on the same highway.

When they got to the scene, they saw it was the teen.

Pearland police started CPR.

The teen was taken to Ben Taub Hospital where he died.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.


About the Authors

T.J. Parker joined KPRC 2 in June 2023 and is happy to be back in Houston. Before coming back to the Lone Star State, T.J. was a reporter in Miami at WSVN Channel 7. There he covered all things up and down the south Florida coast.

Houston bred and super excited to be back home! I grew up in The Heights with my 8 brothers and sisters and moved back in 2024. My career as a journalist spans a lot of years -- I like to say there's a lot of tread on these tires! I'm passionate about helping people. I also really love sharing success stories and stories of redemption. Email me!

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