Man pulled from burning home, rushed to hospital

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A man was rushed to the hospital Sunday after firefighters pulled him from his burning home in northwest Houston.

Flames ripped through the home on Ashmole Lane at Esther Drive. The Houston Fire Department received reports that someone was trapped inside, but officials said burglar bars slowed firefighters' efforts to get to the victim.

"They tried to make entry," said J. Evans with HFD. "This house has burglar bars on the front door, on all the doors. It also has a bar on the inside of the doors."

Firefighters eventually gained entry, but they said it was difficult to navigate through the house because of thick smoke.

Rescuers made their way into the master bathroom where they found the man in the shower with the water running. He was unconscious and not responding, officials said.

The man was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital with CPR in progress. At last check, his condition was unknown.

Firefighters believe the blaze started in the kitchen. They are working to determine the exact cause.

Neighbors tell us the injured man was a relative of the homeowner, who was not home at the time.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Motorcyclist killed in wreck while being pulled over

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A motorcycle rider pulling over for a Houston police officer was killed overnight when another vehicle hit his bike.

It happened on the South Freeway near Yellowstone on Houston's south side at around 1:30am. An HPD officer spotted the motorcyclist on the feeder road. They say he was running red lights.

The officer signaled to the motorcyclist to pull over, and the rider stopped at a narrow, one-lane entrance ramp. That's when officers say another driver in a pickup truck sideswiped the HPD patrol unit and hit the motorcyclist, who died at the scene.

"A blue Chevy truck came from behind and sideswiped the officer's vehicle, then ran over the individual that was on the motorcycle," said Sgt. S. George with the Houston Police Department. "He was killed at the scene."

No officers were hurt. Police say they were going to ask the motorcyclist to pull over in a different, safer place just before the accident happened.

The pickup truck driver was taken to Ben Taub Hospital with minor injuries. According to police, that driver had a blood-alcohol level beyond the legal limit and now faces charges.

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Man's body pulled from Channelview house fire

  CHANNELVIEW, TX (KTRK) -- A tragic fire Saturday in Channelview left one man dead and a family in mourning.

Firefighters were called to a home on Kremmer at Redstone near Beltway 8 and the East Freeway Saturday afternoon.

As the house went up in flames, neighbors say they tried to help save the man inside.

"It was real scary because I knew that there was the possibility that someone was in there, so I was afraid for my neighbor's life," Carmen Elizondo said.

By the time neighbors got word that the house across the street was on fire, there was little they could do to help.

"I was frightened for whoever was in there, so I started breaking all the windows, the back doors and double doors. And yeah, sure enough, there was a lot of smoke coming out," Ruben Elizondo said. "It was pretty scary."

Channelview and Cloverleaf Fire Departments arrived and made a fast attack, extinguishing the flames quickly.

When they searched the home, they found the man's body.

Lt. Dean Hensley with the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office said the victim's father lives on the same street but he was also unable to save his son.

"Once he found out about the fire and saw, there was an attempt with a garden hose, but he said it was just way too big," Hensley said.

The victim's name has not been released. Neighbors tell us he was in his 40s.

According to investigators, the house is not considered a total loss. The victim's bedroom and the roof of the home suffered the most damage.

Firefighters remained at the scene all afternoon, trying to put out hotspots. They even brought in K-9s to investigate the cause of the blaze.

The fire appears accidental, but the cause remains under investigation.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Man's body pulled from Texas City Dike

An ABC13 viewer sent in via iWitness this photo of police searching for a body at the Texas City Dike.

  TEXAS CITY, TX (KTRK) -- Police say they've recovered a body from the Texas City Dike.

Texas City Police say a man's body was found around 3:40pm about 200 yards off the dike. The victim, who's been identified as 63-year-old Robert Earl Cofield, had left his Texas City home sometime in the 1pm hour. So far, there are no obvious signs of trauma or foul play. Texas City police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding Cofield's death. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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