A crash on the South Sam Houston Tollway eastbound at Hiram Clarke occurred at 3:56 AM on Saturday, May 02, 2026. The incident was classified as major in severity.
According to LTA data, the South Sam Houston Tollway eastbound corridor at Hiram Clarke experiences a distinct weekend incident pattern. Over the past 90 days, this location has recorded zero crashes during traditional rush hour periods, while Friday has emerged as the highest-incident day with three crashes. The peak crash hour at this location occurs between 10 PM and 11 PM, with three incidents documented in that window over the same period.
Weather conditions at the time of the incident were favorable—few clouds and 55 degrees Fahrenheit—indicating clear driving conditions in the early morning hours.
Harris County recorded 19,049 total traffic incidents over the past 30 days, with 37 fatal crashes during the same period. The county's incident volume reflects typical patterns across the Houston-Galveston region, where LTA tracks 67,107 incidents across 13 counties with updates every two minutes.
The Saturday early-morning timing of this crash aligns with the location's documented weekend vulnerability. While weekend traffic volumes on freeways typically decline compared to weekday commute periods, the data shows this particular stretch experiences consistent Saturday and Sunday activity. The 3:56 AM occurrence places the incident outside typical congestion windows, though freeway crashes at any hour can create localized delays and require emergency response.
The classification as a major crash indicates significant vehicle damage, potential injuries, or substantial traffic disruption. Response and scene clearance times for major incidents on controlled-access freeways typically extend 60 to 90 minutes depending on the number of vehicles involved and the nature of injuries.
No alternate routes were specified in the incident data. Drivers using the South Sam Houston Tollway system in this area should monitor real-time conditions and traffic apps for current status.
LTA maintains a continuous database of traffic incidents across the Houston-Galveston region. Government sources such as TxDOT publish crash data annually through the Crash Record Information System (CRIS). Together, these sources provide a comprehensive view of regional traffic safety patterns and high-incident corridors.
Sources: TxDOT Crash Records Information System and Local Traffic Accidents database. Counts through October 1, 2026.
Three months of data before this incident showed 7 crashes at the location.
31 crashes have happened at this location after this incident. 15 of the more recent crashes were major.
A handful of the crashes happened within a single week.
The combined count places this stretch in the most active category in the area.
Counts reflect data through August 28, 2026.
South Sam Houston Tollway Eastbound at Hiram Clarke
Harris County, Texas
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.