Woman Dies While Sleeping Under Pickup
Police Hope Autopsy Clears Mystery
Posted: 10:33 a.m. CDT August 9, 2002
Updated: 10:35 a.m. CDT August 9, 2002
HOUSTON -- A woman who regularly wandered a southwest Houston neighborhood was killed when she crawled underneath a pickup to sleep and the owner of the vehicle later drove over her, not knowing she was there.
The truck owner said he pulled out of his driveway on Thursday to go to work. The truck passed over the woman and dragged her body 12 to 15 feet out into the street, police said.
The 44-year-old woman, whose name was not released, was dead by the time she hit the road, officials said. Indeed, she may have been dead before the truck ran over her; police hope an autopsy will answer that question.
Neighbors told police that the woman was homeless and sometimes slept in people's yards, the Houston Chronicle reported in Friday's editions.
Houston police were still trying late Thursday to locate the woman's family.
"I've seen some strange things, but that was strange," said Fort Bend County Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Joel Clouser Sr., who pronounced the woman dead.
Before the driver left, he started his truck to warm up the engine and went back into the house to take out the garbage, Clouser said.
"It's the strangest thing, that she didn't wake up when he turned the engine on and was warming up the truck," Clouser said.
The justice of the peace said the man looked back and saw the woman stretched out in the middle of the street. He went on to work, but phoned his wife and told her to call 911, Clouser said. The man later returned home when he realized what happened.
The incident will go to a grand jury for review.
"It was not intentional," Clouser said.
Police Hope Autopsy Clears Mystery
Posted: 10:33 a.m. CDT August 9, 2002
Updated: 10:35 a.m. CDT August 9, 2002
HOUSTON -- A woman who regularly wandered a southwest Houston neighborhood was killed when she crawled underneath a pickup to sleep and the owner of the vehicle later drove over her, not knowing she was there.
The truck owner said he pulled out of his driveway on Thursday to go to work. The truck passed over the woman and dragged her body 12 to 15 feet out into the street, police said.
The 44-year-old woman, whose name was not released, was dead by the time she hit the road, officials said. Indeed, she may have been dead before the truck ran over her; police hope an autopsy will answer that question.
Neighbors told police that the woman was homeless and sometimes slept in people's yards, the Houston Chronicle reported in Friday's editions.
Houston police were still trying late Thursday to locate the woman's family.
"I've seen some strange things, but that was strange," said Fort Bend County Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Joel Clouser Sr., who pronounced the woman dead.
Before the driver left, he started his truck to warm up the engine and went back into the house to take out the garbage, Clouser said.
"It's the strangest thing, that she didn't wake up when he turned the engine on and was warming up the truck," Clouser said.
The justice of the peace said the man looked back and saw the woman stretched out in the middle of the street. He went on to work, but phoned his wife and told her to call 911, Clouser said. The man later returned home when he realized what happened.
The incident will go to a grand jury for review.
"It was not intentional," Clouser said.