Early Tuesday morning just after midnight, a deadly crash on the east-bound lanes of the Katy Freeway (Interstate 10) near the Washington/Westcott exit in Houston claimed two lives in a horrifying wrong-way collision. According to the Houston Police Department (HPD), a BMW entered the east-bound lanes traveling westbound and struck a Tesla Cybertruck head-on. The BMW burst into flames upon impact.
HPD Sgt. Rebecca Dallas said the crash happened around the 6600-block of I-10 and confirmed that investigators believe the BMW entered through an exit ramp and then drove in the wrong direction. “We believe at this time that the BMW was headed westbound in the eastbound lanes going the wrong direction.” The Cybertruck, after the initial impact, careened into a nearby semi-truck before the scene came to a halt.
The driver of the Cybertruck has been identified by his family and friends as 38-year-old Jamar Champ, a former college football player. His loved ones described him as a devoted father and close friend; his sudden death has left a “profound void,” they say. The BMW driver was also pronounced dead at the scene. The semi-truck driver was not injured and remained on site.
Residents in the area say wrong-way entries happen far too often. A neighbour told local outlet KHOU 11 that he “recently recorded a driver turning the wrong way onto Westcott from a gas station” and he told the reporter: “I said, ‘There’s a fatality waiting to happen.’” Meanwhile, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) stressed that multiple “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signs, along with red reflectors, have already been installed in the area—but the problem persists.
A look at recent data underscores the seriousness: Harris County has recorded 111 wrong-way driving fatalities since 2015, and in the previous year alone there were 233 injuries from wrong-way crashes. Authorities say an autopsy will determine whether impairment or other factors played a role in this latest deadly incident.
Champ’s family also noted that although his relationship with reality-TV star Masika Kalysha had reportedly been strained and they were separated, he remained deeply involved in the lives of his daughter and her older child, whom he helped raise. At just 38, his untimely passing has resonated far beyond his immediate family.
This crash serves as a tragic wake-up call: Highways outfitted with warning signage are only effective if they catch drivers’ attention—and if drivers heed them. The deadly mix of human error, high speeds, and the worst possible mistake—going the wrong way on a major freeway—adds up to a near-guaranteed disaster. As investigators dig deeper into what caused this crash, the community is grappling with grief and renewed questions about freeway safety in the region.
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