On January 12, 2024, in the early morning, a fatal accident took place on the Gulf Freeway in Houston, Texas, leading to the deaths of two teenagers.

Officials from the Houston Police Department (HPD) revealed that the incident occurred at roughly 12:55 a.m. in the vicinity of 7590 South Loop West, close to South Interstate Highway 610 West.

According to Southeast patrol officers, the incident began when a stolen vehicle was noticed near the Gulf Freeway (South Interstate Highway 45) and Park Place Boulevard.

Assistant Chief Kevin Deese reported that their dispatchers confirmed the automobile was stolen, after which they tried to conduct a traffic stop. However, the 19-year-old driver did not comply, proceeding northward on Broadway before taking the Gulf Freeway.

The chase ended when the driver lost control and struck a barrier, causing the vehicle to roll over multiple times.

The driver and a 16-year-old male passenger, who was in the left back seat, were thrown from the vehicle and declared dead at the scene by Houston Fire Department paramedics.

The identities of the deceased are being withheld until their families can be notified by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.

Two other passengers in the vehicle, an 18-year-old male in the front seat and a 16-year-old female in the rear right, survived the crash. They were immediately transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

HPD Assistant Chief Kevin Deese confirmed that no other vehicles were implicated in the accident. He noted that the investigation is ongoing, with the high speed of the incident being a significant factor under review.

The freeway ramp where the accident occurred was shut down for several hours to facilitate the investigation.

As the investigation continues, the HPD’s policies about vehicle pursuits may come under scrutiny.

Several recent crashes along the Gulf Freeway segment in Houston and League City have resulted in teenage deaths, including a crash on August 8, 2023, where a 17-year-old driver was killed after his car crashed into light poles and split in half.

Other high-profile incidents include a wrong-way crash on January 6, 2024, that killed two people on the Gulf Freeway in League City, as well as a police chase crash in Houston on January 6 that killed two teenagers in a suspected stolen vehicle.