BAYTOWN, Texas — A man walking along a street with presents was hit and killed by a vehicle on Christmas Eve near Baytown, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
This happened shortly after 6 p.m. on Wade Road, just off the East Freeway near E Wallisville Road.
Investigators said a woman driving a Jeep Cherokee was driving southbound on Wade Road when she hit the man who was walking with a bag with two large stuffed animals.
"He may have been able to stand up and then ended up stumbling down and eventually collapsed again to the ditch," Sheriff Gonzalez. "We're told he's carrying a few items with him, possibly stuffed animals, toys what may appear to be Christmas presents and he collapsed there where he was confirmed deceased at that point."
The woman told investigators she did not see the man walking before feeling like she hit something. She told investigators she went down the road after the impact but came back and called 911.
Investigators said the woman showed no signs of impairment and fully cooperated with the investigation.
A medical examiner was called to the scene to identify the man so deputies could alert his family.
Deputies said the section of Wade Road where the crash happened is dark and there are no sidewalks on either side of the roadway.
"One of the things we want to pay attention to is the direction of travel for the pedestrian," said Sheriff Gonzalez. "One thing we do want to recommend is to try to walk facing the vehicle so you can make eye contact with the driver and not with your back toward traffic."
An investigation is ongoing.
Watch the latest update from deputies in the video player below: