Reminder: Freeways aren't for walking

A Houstonist public service announcement: Don't walk on the freeway. If you do, bad things may happen to you — take, for example, the poor soul who was pummeled to bits by passing cars on the Southwest Freeway last night.

It was a small, but horrible, news item: No one's sure how the chain of impacts began, but police believe the pedestrian was first hit by an 18-wheeler, then by four or five other cars, while walking in the 6800 block of the Southwest Freeway, near Hillcroft. It happened at about 10:30 p.m.; traffic was backed up for hours.

If you wonder exactly how bad you'll look after you're hit by several vehicles at highway speed, here's a clue from KTRK's coverage of the accident:

The scene was so bad investigators that could not tell for sure if the victim was a man or woman. They did find a purse near the body, leading them to believe the victim is a woman.

But you never know. In short, the lesson here is that freeways aren't made for walking — so be careful if you ever end up outside your car on one.