Man in wheelchair killed by hit-and-run driver in north Harris County

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Investigators are searching for a hit-and-run driver who killed a man in a wheelchair this morning in north Harris County.

It happened around 3:20am on Aldine Mail Route near Airline. According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, a witness saw a red extended-cab Ford pickup truck strike the victim in the southbound lanes of Airline.

The driver then reportedly made a U-turn and fled north. Deputies said the victim was an older Latino man who was in the inside southbound lane in his wheelchair when he was fatally struck. He died at the scene.

"He was in the lane of traffic," HCSO Dep. Paul Begley said. "Unknown if he was trying to cross, or just in the lane."

Investigators collected vehicle parts from the scene of the crash to possibly help them locate the suspect vehicle.

Please stay with Eyewitness News and abc13.com for updates. Reporter Sonia Azad is at the scene and will have live reports from the scene 8-10am.