Man Critically Hurt After Jet Ski Falls Off Trailer on Beaumont Highway

A jet ski fell off a trailer on the 18200 block of Beaumont Highway Sunday night, and the chain of events that followed left a man fighting for his life at Ben Taub Hospital after a Volkswagen slammed the trailer into him and sent both him and the trailer skidding into a roadside ditch.

The crash occurred around 8:14 p.m. in northeast Harris County near Sheldon, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office. The man had been driving a Toyota 4Runner westbound on Beaumont Highway while hauling a jet ski when witnesses say the jet ski separated from the trailer while he was still moving. He pulled over and stepped out onto the highway to retrieve it. As he attempted to pull the jet ski off the road, a Volkswagen traveling eastbound struck the trailer. The impact sent the trailer into the man, knocking both him and the trailer into a ditch on the eastbound side of the highway.

Emergency crews transported the man by ambulance, initially heading toward Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital. Inside the ambulance, medics were able to detect a pulse and changed course to Ben Taub Hospital. He was reported in stable but critical condition.

Lt. Berry of the Harris County Sheriff's Office pointed to the roadway itself as a significant visibility factor. "It was dark already, but out here, as you can see, there's no lighting at all. So it's very difficult to see. Very dark," Berry said. Investigators said they do not believe alcohol or speed played a role in the crash.

The victim had not been publicly identified as of Sunday night, and the investigation remains ongoing.