Onlookers allegedly steal groceries from woman killed in crash

A 23-year-old mother was killed and her two young children suffered injuries in a wreck Wednesday, Houston police said.

The woman's sons, ages 4 and 6, were in the backseat and were transferred to a hospital with broken bones but no life-threatening injuries, said HPD spokesman Victor Senties.

The mother failed to yield when she was leaving a private drive around 5 p.m., Senties said.

She then lost control of her Toyota 4Runner and hit a tree after a Mercedes E320 traveling northbound at 9600 Fondren Road clipped her. Police said she was travelling at a high speed.

According to ABC 13 news, eyewitnesses told police they saw people steal groceries out of the dead woman's SUV.

The TV station said the driver had attended a ceremony at her 4-year-old's elementary school, went to a grocery store, dropped off a friend and then crashed her car on the way home.

She was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Mercedes was not injured.

Senties said if investigators determine items were stolen from the vehicle they could pursue criminal charges against the perpetrators, but he said police did not have any information in about stolen groceries.

Troy Lamerson, a Houston resident who works near where the wreck happened, said he was stunned to hear onlookers might have stolen groceries from her car.

"Why would you take somebody's stuff who got hit by a car? That's crazy, that's mean," Lamerson said.

But Savannah Roberts, who lives close to the scene of the accident, said she was not surprised.

"There is a lot of people you just can't trust," Roberts said. "I've seen worse in this area."