Police said a coworker she was dating drove over her after an argument during a moving job.
HOUSTON, TX — A 31-year-old woman was killed Thursday afternoon at a west Houston apartment complex after police said a man intentionally drove a moving truck over her following an argument.
Houston police said the case began as a deadly crash call but is being investigated as a homicide. Officers were sent about 3:30 p.m. to the 2400 block of South Gessner Road, near Westheimer Road, where they found the woman dead at the scene. A suspect was later taken into custody, and police said the moving truck was recovered.
The woman had been part of a three-person moving crew that had gone to the apartment complex for a scheduled moving job, police said. The crew was helping a woman move out of an apartment when an argument broke out between the victim and a male coworker. Houston Police Lt. Larry Crowson said the man and woman had been arguing before the fatal encounter. Investigators said the pair were also in a dating relationship. Police said the man got into the box truck after the dispute, drove through the parking lot and struck the woman. Crowson said officers believed the crash was not accidental.
The victim died before she could be taken to a hospital. Police did not release her name Friday because relatives had not yet been notified by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. Investigators said the third member of the moving crew stayed at the scene and spoke with officers. Police said the suspect left after the woman was hit, but officers later found the truck and detained him. The apartment complex and the moving truck became key parts of the crime scene as officers worked to separate witness accounts from physical evidence.
Police identified the suspect as Keith Bembry Sims, 33. He has been charged with manslaughter and failure to stop and render aid in an accident involving death. The charges place the case in Harris County’s criminal court system, where prosecutors will decide how to present evidence gathered by police. Investigators had not said Friday whether additional charges could be filed. The victim’s official cause and manner of death will come from the medical examiner’s office after its review.
The incident happened along a busy west Houston corridor lined with apartment complexes, shops and office buildings. South Gessner Road connects major residential areas near Westheimer Road, where afternoon traffic can be heavy. Police described the scene as a homicide investigation shortly after officers arrived. The public details released so far center on the moving crew, the argument, the box truck and the suspect’s alleged decision to leave the area after the woman was struck.
Police said the investigation remains active. Detectives are expected to review statements from the third crew member, any other witnesses at the apartment complex and possible video from the property or nearby businesses. They also are expected to examine the truck for damage or other evidence that could help show how the woman was struck. Authorities have not released the name of the moving company, the apartment complex or the woman who was being helped with the move.
As of Friday, Sims was in custody and the woman’s name remained withheld pending family notification. The next formal updates are expected through court filings, police statements or the Harris County medical examiner’s findings.
Author note: Last updated June 26, 2026.