I-45 southbound crash at Cullen exit disrupts Monday morning

A major crash at the I-45 southbound Cullen exit ramp brought traffic to a standstill Monday morning. The wreck happened at 8:58 AM and drew multiple emergency crews to clear the debris and assist those involved.

This stretch of I-45 near the Cullen exit is no stranger to collisions. According to LocalTrafficAccidents.com data, the corridor logged 45 incidents over the past 30 days—19 of them major crashes. Over a 12-month window, the location has seen 328 total incidents, with 147 classified as major. That track record makes Monday's wreck part of a well-established pattern at this exit ramp.

Monday itself is the busiest crash day at this location. LTA data shows 21 crashes have occurred here on Mondays over the past 90 days, the highest count for any single day of the week. The incident arrived during the late morning, when this corridor typically sits outside the evening rush hour spike—the data shows the single busiest hour for crashes here is 9 to 10 PM, when 14 crashes have occurred.

Weather conditions were clear at the time of the crash. Skies held few clouds and temperatures sat at 87 degrees, so visibility wasn't a factor in the wreck.

Looking at the broader historical record, TxDOT CRIS public crash records show 1,114 crashes have been recorded within about a quarter-mile of this location since January 2020, including 6 fatalities. Contributing factors as recorded by the investigating officer, per TxDOT CRIS, show "Failed To Control Speed" as the leading factor, cited in 450 crashes at the corridor.

Harris County as a whole logged 18,057 incidents over the past 30 days, with 18 fatalities. The Cullen exit ramp cluster represents a concentrated trouble spot in that larger county picture.

Authorities cleared the scene and restored traffic flow. If you were heading southbound through that area Monday morning, expect residual congestion as normal volume rebuilds on the freeway.

**Update (5:00 PM CT):** The major crash at SIH45OB-SCOTT 3570 S IH 45 FWY @ CULLEN EXIT RAMP, first reported at 8:58 AM, has cleared after more than 8 hours. All lanes have reopened and normal traffic flow has resumed in the area.