HOUSTON – Houston police say a 22-year-old woman is in custody on suspicion of driving while intoxicated after she was caught on video driving the wrong way on I-45 North.
It happened at about 1 a.m. Wednesday near West Road.
Police say the woman somehow got on the freeway going northbound in the southbound lanes. Numerous vehicles swerved to avoid hitting her, and police say thankfully she was not going too fast.
Police were able to shut down the freeway to traffic and stop the woman.
She was taken into custody with no crashes reported.
The Houston Police Department later identified her as Elizabeth Nichols. She is charged with misdemeanor DWI and felony possession.
Texas Department of Transportation records show there were dozens of wrong-way crashes in our state last year alone. When it happens on a freeway, many people wonder why officials don't install spike strips to prevent people from getting on in the wrong direction.
TxDot studied whether installing spike strips along freeway exit ramps would help cut down on wrong-way drivers. The agency outlined ten engineering reasons not to use the devices, including ineffectiveness and potential damage to cars headed the right way.
For now, law enforcement has to rely on drivers paying attention to “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signs to keep everyone else on the road safe.