Houston, TX — November 9, 2025, a teen was killed in a hit-and-run accident at about 1 a.m. in the 7000 block of Kassarine Pass.

Authorities said a red GMC pickup hit a pedestrian who was leaving a party in that area and kept driving.

The pedestrian, a 17-year-old boy, died after being taken to a local hospital, according to authorities. He was a high school senior

Investigators tracked down the vehicle that hit him and arrested the driver, a 15-year-old boy who was charged with failure to stop and render aid causing death, authorities said.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Harris County crash at this time.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When someone is struck by a vehicle and the driver leaves the scene, the focus naturally shifts to locating the vehicle and identifying the driver. But just identifying who was involved doesn’t always tell the full story. To understand how and why a crash occurred, investigators need to go deeper.

Did investigators take a hard look at the full picture of the crash? In any hit-and-run incident, recovering the vehicle is only part of the process. Equally important is how the scene was analyzed. Did the responding team use crash reconstruction tools to determine the vehicle’s speed and position? Were any efforts made to evaluate the pedestrian’s movements leading up to the impact? Thorough investigations often examine driver behavior prior to the crash, but that requires time, training and the use of specialized techniques. Not all agencies have the same resources or experience, which can lead to important evidence being missed or overlooked.

Was there any sign a mechanical failure played a role in what happened? The involvement of a pickup truck raises the need to check for possible equipment issues, especially when the driver is underage and may not have been familiar with how the vehicle handles. Faulty brakes, steering problems or malfunctioning lights could all be contributing factors. Without a formal mechanical inspection, these questions remain open. It’s not enough to assume a crash was caused solely by driver actions when a vehicle’s condition might also have played a role.

Did investigators gather all available digital and electronic evidence? Modern vehicles and mobile devices often capture critical details. Data from a phone, GPS or the truck’s internal systems can establish speed, braking and steering inputs. That information helps confirm or dispute accounts of what happened and may show whether the driver was distracted or operating the vehicle unlawfully. In any serious crash, especially one involving a hit-and-run. this data should be retrieved and analyzed whenever possible.

A full investigation looks beyond who was driving and considers every factor that may have influenced the outcome. That kind of detail isn’t just helpful. It’s necessary to fully understand the event.

Key Takeaways:

• A proper investigation includes crash reconstruction and a review of pre-crash behavior, not just identifying the driver.
• Mechanical issues should always be ruled out through formal inspection, especially when inexperienced drivers are involved.
• Vehicle data and phone records can clarify what happened and are essential in serious hit-and-run cases.