DWI Suspected in Crash that Closed the Houston Harte Tuesday Night

What appears to be a rollover crash involving a Hyundai Tucson and a Chevrolet Captiva has closed Houston Harte Expressway’s westbound lanes between Howard and Garfield Streets. The crash happened just before 10 p.m. There was a second call reporting a drunk driver at 10:21 p.m. near the same location.

Two victims were seen being loaded into ambulances and rushed to a hospital.

The driver of the Chevrolet Captiva is being treated on-scene inside a third ambulance.

Uodate 11 p.m.

Overheard on the radio that the EMS and SAPD may be dealing with a drunk driver. They are investigating that possibility. REACT has been called to the scene to help direct traffic around a closed Houston Harte at Howard Street.

Update 11:20 p.m.

Criminal Investigations Division is at the scene. CID is requested for in-depth investigations at crash scenes when injuries are "incapacitating" or greater in severity, according to recent changes in police procedures that were explained to us.

Update 11:40 p.m.

The debris field is approximately 3/4-mile long. Investigators are placing orange flags where evidence is found--a car part, a skid mark, etc. The westbound Houston Harte Expressway between Garfield and Howard St. will be closed for at least two hours, if not more.

Update 12:40 a.m.

Officer Steve Quade is the investigator of this crash He confirmed that police are investigating this as a DWI incident.

Shortly before 10 p.m., the Chevrolet Captiva driven by a female with a male passenger was traveling westbound in the outside lane at a high rate of speed, Quade said witnesses told him. The Captiva drove up behind the Hyundai Tucson and clipped the rear. The impact sent the Captiva into a side-skid leftward, where it flipped over “several times”, Quade said. During the rollover, the female driver was ejected from the passenger side window. The window was completely broken out during the rollover sequence. After the Captiva came to a stop, the male passenger was able to escape through the same window.

Meanwhile, the Tucson skidded right and came to a stop upright. Inside the back of the Tucson was what appeared to be photography equipment, such as lights and lighting shades. The photography equipment is a majority of the debris on the roadway because the backend was damaged, opening the hatchback.

The female driver of the Captiva is suspected of driving drunk. Neither she nor her passenger was wearing seatbelts, Quade said.

All three victims of the crash were sent to Shannon Medical Center via ambulance. The Captiva driver had incapacitating injuries. Her male passenger and the female driver of the Tucson suffered minor injuries.

More details may be released after the San Angelo police complete the investigation tomorrow.