July 4, 2007 2 men killed in Loop hit-and-run

July 4, 2007, 11:14PM
Two men attempting to change a flat tire were killed early Wednesday in a hit-and-run on the East Loop North near the Ship Channel Bridge. Witnesses told police the driver of a white pickup was traveling southbound on the freeway at about 2:15 a.m. when he weaved into the right shoulder, hitting the two men. The driver fled, and a witness followed the truck.
A Houston Police Department officer on his way to the wreck stopped a vehicle that matched the description of the one that hit the men. The truck also had damage consistent with one that had struck a pedestrian, police said. The driver of the pickup, identified by police as Mark Anthony Delvalle, 20, was taken into custody after he appeared to be intoxicated, officers said. Delvalle was charged with driving while intoxicated, police said, and further charges are pending. The victims' identities were not available Wednesday.