A driver was killed along State Highway 146 on Thursday afternoon after "major road debris" crashed through his windshield. (KTRK)
LA PORTE, TX (KTRK) -- A large bolt likely flew off of a flatbread trailer, hit a motorist in the neck and killed him along State Highway 146, police say.
The accident happened on the southbound lanes of State Highway 146 at Wharton Weems just after 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 2. According to police, Paul Hoffman, 60, was found unresponsive in a 2016 Ford Edge SUV stopped against the guardrail.
Investigators believe the debris that struck Hoffman was a retaining pin used to attach containers to flatbed trailers. The bolt likely flew off of a truck traveling northbound near the area where Hoffman crashed.
Bystanders and emergency personnel attempted to resuscitate Hoffman, who was pronounced dead upon arrival at Clear Lake Regional Hospital.
Anybody who witnessed the incident is asked to contact the La Porte Police Department at 281-471-2141 and reference case number.
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After a Pasadena man was killed by flying road debris on Thursday, La Porte police are looking for witnesses who may have seen the container truck the debris seems to have fallen from.
At about 3 p.m. on March 2, 60-year-old Paul Hoffman was traveling southbound on Highway 146 near Wharton Weems Boulevard when his vehicle was struck by a twistlock, a bolt that holds shipping containers onto the flatbed trailers that are common on Houston freeways.
The twistlock flew through Hoffman's windshield, bending his steering wheel backward before striking him in the neck, La Porte Police Sgt. John Krueger said.
First responders found Hoffman's blue Ford Edge SUV against the guard rail on the freeway, and Hoffman unconscious inside. Bystanders and emergency crews attempted to resuscitate him at the scene, Krueger said.
Hoffman, in critical condition at the scene, was transported to Clear Lake regional, where he was pronounced dead. Hoffman's Pasadena address is near Kirby Road in the Taylor Lake Village area.
Krueger said a twistbolt is about the size of a softball. This type of equipment becomes worn over time, and twistbolts fly off of container trucks on a regular basis in the Houston area, he said.
Police believe the flying bolt that struck Hoffman came from a truck that was headed northbound near the same address.
Anyone with information on this case may contact the La Porte Police Department at 281-471-2141 and reference Case No. 1700837.