Houston Carjacker Crashes 18-Wheeler Into Mobile Home, Killing 1

HOUSTON, TX — A man carjacked an 18-wheeler and crashed it into a mobile home after a brief car chase, killing one and injuring another early Tuesday, Houston police said.

The crash occurred on the 11500 block of McKinley Street, police said.

Erik Black, 39, was taken to the hospital with minor injuries and is now in Harris County jail, according to authorities. Black will be charged with murder and reckless aggravated assault, according to Sean Teare, chief of the Harris County District Attorney's Office vehicular crimes division.

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A 50-year-old woman was killed when the 18-wheeler hit the mobile home, and a 54-year-old man had to be extracted from the wreckage and was taken to the hospital. The man had serious injuries but was not in critical condition, a Houston Police Department spokesperson said. Two other adults in the mobile home were uninjured.

The victims were sleeping when the crash occurred, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.

The Houston Police Department received a call about an auto theft on the 14700 block of Sommermeyer Street at approximately 10:40 p.m. Monday and later located the 18-wheeler with Black inside early Monday morning about a mile from the crash site. Police attempted to make a traffic stop, but the 18-wheeler did not stop. After a brief chase, the suspect jumped from the 18-wheeler while it was still moving, and it crashed through a fence and into the mobile home.

The DA's office will file motions to hold the suspect without bond "for the pendency of this case," Teare said, adding Black was a "habitual offender" of evading arrest.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office will be the lead investigation agency.