I-45 North at Gulf Bank crash; 39 incidents in 30 days

Four cars collided on I-45 northbound at West Gulf Bank Road around 10:13 this morning, Tuesday, July 07, backing up traffic across multiple lanes during what should have been mid-morning recovery time.

Responding officers worked the scene quickly, but the wreck tied up the northbound lanes through late morning. The backup stretched well past the interchange as crews cleared debris and got the vehicles off the roadway.

This crash lands at a corridor with serious momentum. According to LTA data, I-45 North at West Gulf Bank has recorded 39 incidents over the past 30 days—24 of them major. Over the past 90 days, that count climbs to 102 total incidents, 65 of them major. The 12-month picture is steeper: 168 total incidents, 114 major, and 2 fatals.

TxDOT CRIS public crash records show the corridor's longer history tells a similar story. Since January 2020, state records document 554 crashes within about a quarter-mile of this location, including 9 fatals. Contributing factors as recorded by the investigating officer, per TxDOT CRIS, show "Failed To Control Speed" leading the list at 249 crashes. Hit-and-run incidents account for 11.9% of the total—146 of 1,229 units involved.

While this location sees crashes at varied times throughout the day, LTA data shows the single busiest hour is 7 to 8 PM, when 8 crashes occurred during the 30-day window. Sundays have historically been the highest-incident day at this corridor, with 15 incidents recorded over the past 90 days.

Harris County overall reported 17,936 incidents in the past 30 days, with 32 fatals.

Conditions this morning were overcast at 90 degrees—heat but no rain. Traffic should normalize within the hour if the scene clears on standard timeline. If you're heading north on 45, expect delays through the interchange and allow extra time.