Broken axle kills motorist on 225

Here's another bizarre accident to worry you the next time you're driving on the freeway: In Pasadena this morning, a motorist was killed when part of an 18-wheeler's axle broke off and hit his car. It happened at about 8:30 a.m. on Highway 225 near Richey Street when, according to investigators, the left front axle assembly of a westbound truck broke loose and flew into the air. It bounced across the freeway divider and, KTRK reports, crashed through the driver's side window of an eastbound Nissan Maxima, killing the driver instantly (the Chronicle doesn't specify anything about the window, simply saying the debris hit the car and the driver was killed by the impact).

The freeway was closed for about two and a half hours, causing miles-long traffic backups. Investigators say they don't know how the axle assembly came loose, but it's a rare event:

Pasadena Police Captain Bud Corbett said, "It's a rare occasion when an axle dislodges from a tractor. This was just one of those rare occasions and unfortunately it cost the life of the victim in this case."

TxDOT investigators are looking into the incident. If they find fault on the part of the driver or the trucking company, Houston Distributing Co., citations or criminal charges could be issued.