A report of a man carrying an ax on the Buffalo Bayou Park Trail near the Allen Parkway and Waugh Drive intersection sent authorities to the area Tuesday evening at 5:44 PM on February 24, 2026. The incident occurred during peak commute hours, affecting traffic flow through one of Houston's most popular green spaces in the Montrose area.
The timing of this report could not have been worse for evening commuters heading out of downtown and the Medical Center. Allen Parkway handles significant traffic volume during rush hour, and this incident threatens major delays for anyone traveling through the Montrose corridor. Drivers should consider using alternate routes like Westcott Street to the north or San Felipe Street to the south to bypass the affected area. Memorial Drive also presents a viable option for those traveling east-west, though it too may experience spillover traffic from diverted vehicles.
The stretch of Allen Parkway near Waugh Drive is a major gateway into Montrose, with direct access to Buffalo Bayou Park's trail system—a heavily used recreational area that draws joggers, cyclists, and pedestrians throughout the day. This intersection sits near several key landmarks including the Buffalo Bayou Park Visitor Center and connects to prominent neighborhoods on both sides of the bayou. The area typically carries moderate to heavy traffic during evening hours as commuters head home from downtown office buildings and medical facilities.
Details on which direction faced the most significant impact remain unclear, and it was not immediately known whether the incident had been cleared by early evening. Drivers in the area should remain alert for any ongoing police activity or trail closures as authorities responded to investigate the report. Those planning to use the park's trail system or travel through Montrose should check for updates before heading out.
Sources: TxDOT Crash Records Information System and Local Traffic Accidents database. Counts through October 1, 2026.
The location's 30-day count stood at 26 before this incident.
Since this crash, 253 additional collisions have happened at the same location. 117 of the subsequent crashes were classified as major. A fatal crash was among those that followed.
Crashes have slowed at this location since this crash.
Some of those crashes occurred within days of each other.
Taken together, the counts place this stretch in the upper tier for crashes locally.
Last incident at this location recorded September 22, 2026.
This report was produced by LTA's editor-designed production system under the executive editorial direction of Dennis R. Mundy, Executive Editor. The system combines our proprietary data pipeline with AI-assisted drafting to deliver verified incident coverage to LTA's editorial standards.