A significant crash brought traffic to a standstill on the West Sam Houston Tollway northbound at Memorial Drive on Friday, February 13, 2026, at 12:08 PM. The collision occurred during peak afternoon travel hours, creating major delays across one of Houston's busiest corridors.
Drivers heading north on the Sam Houston should expect substantial backup extending well beyond the crash site. The spillover is already affecting connecting routes, particularly Memorial Drive and nearby feeder roads. Those trying to reach the northern suburbs or bypass areas should consider taking I-10 west toward the Grand Parkway or routing through local streets in the Uptown and Montrose areas. The Westpark Tollway also offers an alternative for drivers trying to access the north side, though it may experience increased volume as others divert.
This stretch of the West Sam Houston near Memorial Drive handles some of the heaviest traffic flow in the region, particularly during afternoon hours when commuters are heading toward The Woodlands, Spring, and northern Harris County. The intersection marks a critical juncture where the tollway intersects with one of the area's main east-west arterials. On a typical Friday afternoon, this corridor sees constant vehicle movement from both commercial and passenger traffic.
The northbound lanes remain significantly impacted, with delays stretching back several miles from the crash location. TranStar reports indicate the incident is still being cleared. Drivers in the area should be prepared for extended wait times and consider delaying their northbound travel if possible until the roadway reopens. Check live traffic conditions before heading out, as recovery time could extend into the evening rush hour.
Before this crash, the location had recorded 6 other incidents in 30 days.
The location has seen 174 additional incidents since this crash. 139 of those were classified as major.
The pace of crashes at this location has picked up since.
Some of those crashes hit in close succession.
Combined, those numbers put the location among the most active in the county.
Counts run through August 21, 2026.
West Sam Houston Tollway Northbound at Memorial Dr
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.