Houston, Texas: Two Killed, Two Hospitalized in Jones Road Crash at FM 1960, Driver Faces Intoxication Manslaughter Counts

Two people were killed and two others were taken to a hospital after a two vehicle crash near the intersection of Jones Road and FM 1960 in northwest Harris County early on Sunday, November 1, authorities said. KPRC 2 reported the crash happened around 2:30 a.m.

What authorities say happened

Deputies with Harris County Constable Precinct 4 responded to the scene near Jones Road and FM 1960, FOX 26 reported. Investigators determined that one vehicle crashed into a second car, killing two people. Two additional people were taken to a local hospital for medical treatment. The first reports did not give the conditions of the two hospitalized people, and they did not say which vehicle each victim was riding in.

Charges and identification

FOX 26 reported that a male driver faces two counts of intoxication manslaughter after the crash. Authorities said the names of the driver and of the victims have not been released, pending formal charges and family notifications. No ages were released in the first reports, and the vehicles were not described.

Road closure and investigation

Authorities issued a traffic alert closing the roadway near Jones Road and FM 1960 while emergency crews worked at the scene, and motorists were advised to avoid the area and seek alternate routes. Accident investigators remained at the scene to reconstruct the crash and determine the full circumstances leading up to it, FOX 26 reported.

What is still unknown

The first reports did not name the hospital where the two injured people were taken, did not say whether anyone else was in either vehicle, and did not give a time for the road to reopen. Those details are expected to follow after family notifications and formal charges. This article will be updated when officials release them.

The crossing and the charge

Jones Road meets FM 1960 in the northwest Harris County suburbs, where FM 1960 runs east and west across the north side of the Houston area and carries heavy overnight traffic between neighborhoods, warehouses and shopping centers. A crash at the crossing in the early hours of a Sunday is the kind of call Precinct 4 deputies answer often, and a fatal one closes the road for hours while investigators measure the scene.

Intoxication manslaughter is the Texas charge used when a person operating a vehicle while intoxicated causes the death of another person. Two counts match the two deaths authorities reported at the scene. The charge is an allegation at this stage. It becomes formal when the driver is booked and named, which is one reason officials said names are waiting on formal charges.