Kids, 8 and 6, grab steering wheel after dad shot to death on highway, Texas cops say

A 29-year-old man was driving along the highway in Houston around 10:40 p.m. Saturday, his two young boys riding with him, when a bullet struck him in the head, police told local news outlets.

His 8 and 6-year-old kids heard a pop, thought someone had hurled a rock at first, but then saw their “father slumped over” in the driver seat, police told KTRK. Trapped in the middle of a busy freeway, the boys “grabbed the wheel and steered” themselves to safety.

Police say the boys guided the SUV about a mile further down Interstate 10 until they found an exit ramp, took it and rolled to a stop, KETK reported. They jumped out and ran to a nearby Chili’s where they asked a woman for help. She called 911.

When police arrived, they found the father dead in the vehicle, outlets report. Investigators say they have no description of the shooter.

Police aren’t sure if this is an incident of road rage or if the father was targeted for some other reason, the Houston Chronicle reported.

This story was originally published August 22, 2021 at 12:11 PM with the headline "Kids, 8 and 6, grab steering wheel after dad shot to death on highway, Texas cops say."