HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A mother and her infant are dead after a major crash on the Grand Parkway near Highway 290, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
The crash happened just before 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in the westbound lanes of SH 99 just before the Northwest Freeway.
According to HCSO Major Susan Cotter, a driver in a Toyota Camry told investigators that a vehicle in front of her came to almost a complete stop on the exit ramp of 99 to 290. After veering to avoid the vehicle, the driver of the Camry hit a Toyota 4Runner, which caused the 4Runner to flip over the guardrail and land on its roof. The Camry also hit a Volkswagen sedan in the crash.
Cotter said the 28-year-old mother driving the 4Runner was pronounced dead at the scene. Her two sons, an infant and a 3-year-old, were taken to the hospital in critical condition where the infant later died. The 3-year-old was listed as critical.
According to Cotter, the drivers of the Camry and Volkswagen were not injured in the crash. Meanwhile, investigators are looking for the driver of the car that stopped abruptly.
"That vehicle did not stay," Cotter said. "If anybody saw that vehicle, we'd like them to contact the Harris County Sheriff's Office."
Cotter said both children in the 4Runner were in car seats and in the back seat at the time of the crash. The father of the children showed up at the scene asking about his children.
"Anytime it involves a child, I could say this personally, I've been investigating fatality crashes since 1997 and the ones with children are just absolutely horrible," Cotter said. "They stick with you."
Meanwhile, investigators will look for surveillance footage, but Cotter said that the traffic cameras in the area usually don't record.