Homeless couple sleeping under bridge killed after driver loses control, Texas cops say

A tragic incident in Texas left a newly homeless couple dead early Wednesday, police say.

Houston police are looking for a driver they say hit and killed a homeless couple as he was driving away from the site of another crash, KHOU reported.

The driver was making a left turn when he lost control of his car, crossing over the median before hitting a man and woman sleeping under an overpass, according to police, KPRC reported.

The couple, described as being in their 60s, had recently lost their home and were hugging as the car landed on top of them, pinning them underneath, KHOU reported.

They were pronounced dead at the scene, KPRC reported.

The driver ran away from the scene on foot, police say, and despite dispatching a helicopter, authorities weren’t able to track him down, KPRC reported. When found, the driver faces charges of failure to stop and render aid among other offenses.

“It’s a very very tragic scene,” Sean Teare of the district attorney’s office said, according to KHOU. “The two died together. It was obvious they were together in life as well. Every one of these scenes is sobering. This one is very very tragic.”

Rolando Orellana was involved in the driver’s first crash, KTRK reported. He says the driver “reeked of alcohol” when he slammed into the back of Orellana’s car before driving off.

Orellana said he followed the driver, who eventually pulled over and pleaded with Orellana not to call police before ultimately getting back in his car and driving away, KTRK reported.

“We were just involved in a crash and it could have been us,” Orellana said, according to KTRK. “They were homeless. They were not expecting to get killed by a crazy person like that.”

While police believe they know the driver’s identity, they’re asking anyone with information to contact Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

In 2018, an estimated 553,000 U.S. citizens were homeless on any given night, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“About two-thirds (65%) were staying in sheltered locations — emergency shelters or transitional housing programs — and about one-third (35%) were in unsheltered locations such as on the street, in abandoned buildings, or in other places not suitable for human habitation,” the government agency says.

This story was originally published September 25, 2019 at 8:25 AM with the headline "Homeless couple sleeping under bridge killed after driver loses control, Texas cops say."