Houston police investigate fatal Ship Channel bridge crash on 610 East

A black Chevrolet Silverado hit a silver Nissan Altima from behind on the Ship Channel Bridge about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, June 28, killing a 25-year-old man on Interstate Highway 610 East. Houston police are investigating the crash.

The collision happened at 100 East Loop.

A silver Nissan Altima was on the bridge when a black Chevrolet Silverado hit it from the rear. Witnesses told investigators the Altima was moving slowly or was disabled in a live lane of traffic. After the impact, the Silverado rolled over and the Altima hit the guardrail. Houston Fire Department paramedics took the Altima driver to a hospital, where he died.

The Silverado driver was not hurt, stayed at the scene and did not show signs of intoxication. Investigators questioned and released that driver. The victim’s identity remained pending while the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences notified family members.

The bridge, also called the Sidney Sherman Bridge, carries the East Loop of I-610 over the Houston Ship Channel and Buffalo Bayou on Houston’s east side. The crossing sits in the middle of a corridor that serves Ship Channel commuters, port workers and freight traffic moving through the city’s industrial east side.

Houston TranStar’s East Loop camera list includes Manchester, Port of Houston, Clinton Industrial, Turning Basin, Market Street, Wallisville and McCarty.

Texas Department of Transportation began its SH 225 and I-610E Planning and Environmental Linkages study in March 2020 to identify long-term improvements for the area. That kind of study is required before a project moves forward, to test whether it fills a transportation need, limits harm to nearby areas and fits the agency’s overall plan. The investigation into the crash continues.