Driver's 911 call likely saved rescuers, stranded motorist from erratic driver

HOUSTON -- An alert citizen may have saved some lives in a violent crash that was caught on camera.

A Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) Incident Response Unit was on the side of the Westpark Tollway Sunday helping a stranded motorist when another driver slammed into their vehicles.

Seconds before the crash, a woman reported an erratic driver behind the wheel of a SUV that was swerving all over the road. She called the HCTRA Incident Command Center where a dispatcher was able to warn those up ahead.

"I cannot imagine what would have happened if she hadn't taken the time to give us a call," said HCTRA dispatcher Alexa Barrick,

Those on the side of the road shielded themselves and got as far away from the point of impact as possible.

The driver responsible for the crash was taken to the hospital, but no one else was hurt. He told deputies he had been up for more than 24 hours and was talking on the phone at the time of the crash. He was cited for driving on the shoulder.

"Hopefully he learned a good lesson from the thing and hopefully others will learn you don't mix fatigue with distractions," said Capt. Terry Allbritton, Harris County Precinct 5 Constable's Office.

If you have an emergency on the Harris County Toll Road system, call 713-222-7328 or 911.