HOUSTON – Two men who were walking to their grandfather’s house were struck and killed Monday night by a speeding vehicle, police said.
Houston police have not yet released the identities of the men, both 38 years old, but a family member at the scene of the crash identified himself as the uncle of one of the victim’s and said the pair were cousins.
“Their Paw-paw stays right down the street, that’s why they were over in this area,” Michael White told KPRC 2.
The crash, described as “horrific” by investigators, happened just after 11 p.m. at Cullen Boulevard and Edfield Street. Police said the driver of a white SUV was speeding northbound on Cullen when the vehicle hit the two pedestrians.
"It appears he freaked out didn't know what he hit and veered off into the utility pole," said Lt. Barrow with HPD's vehicular crimes unit.
Police said the driver was not intoxicated, but that speed was likely a factor in the crash.
“The speed limit here on Cullen is 35 by all indicators we see on the scene this individual was traveling well over that speed,” said assistant district attorney Sean Teare, chief of the Harris County DA office’s vehicular crimes unit.
Speeding drivers has been a safety issue for folks in the nearby community for years, said Dr. Zeb Poindexter III, whose dentistry practice is just across the street from the scene of Monday night’s deadly crash.
Two years ago he says he wife successfully lobbied the city for a pedestrian crossing sign. But he says what they really need is a stop light.
"Every time there’s a fatality or a major incident, we call the politicians. We tell them come out here do a traffic study, put the police out here. They’ll set up a temporary police watch and as soon as the police are gone they’re flying down the street 60-70 miles an hour again. I don’t know what it’s going to take. It’s just going to get worse,” Poindexter said.