Authorities say a woman died in the initial four-vehicle collision; a suspect faces intoxication manslaughter and other charges.
HOUSTON, TX — A man caused a chain-reaction crash on the Gulf Freeway on Friday morning, then fired shots into the air and carjacked multiple drivers during a miles-long spree that ended with his arrest near downtown, Houston police said.
Police identified the suspect as Jason Arvin Velasquez, 30. He is charged with intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle and failure to stop and render aid causing death, along with multiple counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to authorities. The crash and subsequent carjackings began about 8:29 a.m. on the I-45 Gulf Freeway access road near Park Place Boulevard and stretched north toward the central business district. The fatality — a woman who was struck in the initial collision — has drawn a wider investigation into the suspect’s actions and condition, as well as a review of how the pursuit ended without further injuries.
Investigators said the incident started when a white SUV sped onto the northbound access road at Park Place Boulevard and slammed into several vehicles, setting off a four-vehicle pileup. Witnesses described a chaotic scene. “He sped up and clipped my car a little bit,” driver Rosalind Scallion said. “Then he hit that SUV and then he missed another car, and then he hit the truck and hit the pole.” After the collision, police said, the driver of the white SUV got out holding a handgun and fired rounds into the air as people scrambled. He then carjacked an older couple at gunpoint and fled north on I-45, according to officers on scene.
Authorities said the woman killed in the crash was 42-year-old Jessica Daughtery, who died at the scene. Another witness, Juan Nava, said his girlfriend’s car was struck and that the encounter with the suspected driver turned violent: “He pulled out a knife and tried to cut me, and he pulled out a gun and tried to shoot,” Nava said. Police noted that multiple 911 callers reported gunfire immediately after the crash. Officers later said the suspect abandoned the first stolen SUV when it became inoperable and then carjacked a second vehicle at gunpoint along the corridor, continuing north.
Houston police and Harris County Precinct 1 constable deputies tracked the suspect as reports came in from along the freeway. The chase moved off I-45 and onto U.S. 59 near the George R. Brown Convention Center, where authorities said the man tried to carjack a third vehicle — a white pickup disabled on the shoulder. A Precinct 1 deputy confronted the suspect there and took him into custody without additional shots fired, officials said. Police said the suspect had minor injuries from the crashes and was taken to a hospital before being booked into jail. No officers fired their weapons during the arrest, according to initial statements.
Investigators are still piecing together the exact sequence of collisions and carjackings, including whether the suspect struck other vehicles before the fatal wreck and whether wrong-way driving occurred earlier on the freeway. Officers said they recovered evidence consistent with shots being fired near the first crash scene, but they did not report any gunshot injuries tied to the incident. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences will determine the precise cause and manner of Daughtery’s death. Police said they would analyze surveillance video, in-car camera footage, and physical evidence from each scene to align witness accounts with the timeline.
The Friday morning chaos shut down lanes on the Park Place access road and clogged I-45 as investigators documented the crash. The sprawling response reflected Houston’s recent focus on freeway violence and roadside robberies, which authorities say can escalate quickly when firearms are displayed. In prior years, officials have noted that large, multi-scene events demand coordination among city police, county constables, and traffic units because scenes can span several exits and jurisdictions. Residents and commuters in the corridor were diverted for hours while accident reconstruction teams measured skid marks, mapped debris fields, and photographed vehicle damage at multiple locations.
Velasquez was booked on intoxication manslaughter and failure to stop and render aid causing death, with additional aggravated assault counts expected to be reviewed by prosecutors. As of the weekend, he remained in custody pending a probable-cause court appearance, officials said. Prosecutors will present the case to a judge for bond conditions and to schedule an initial hearing. The medical examiner’s findings and ballistic testing will inform any additional counts tied to shots fired. Police said they plan to release a fuller incident report after detectives finish interviews and collect videos from nearby businesses along Park Place, Woodridge Drive, and the downtown stretch where the arrest occurred.
By afternoon, tow trucks had cleared the damaged vehicles and traffic slowly returned on the Gulf Freeway. Near Park Place, drivers stepped around broken plastic and glass as crews swept the access road. “People were screaming and trying to get away,” Scallion said, describing the first minutes after the crash. At a separate scene downtown, commuters described seeing a swarm of law enforcement vehicles near the convention center before the arrest. Family members of the woman who died told reporters she had just dropped off her husband at work before the crash; they declined further comment as the investigation continues.
As of late Sunday, police said the case remained active, with detectives awaiting lab results and final autopsy findings. The next expected milestone is a probable-cause hearing in county court early this week, followed by a charging update once prosecutors review the full investigative packet. Authorities said they would provide any new details on Monday regarding additional charges or recovered evidence.
Author note: Last updated December 11, 2025.