Man loses leg while changing tire on freeway causing chain-reaction crash, police say

HOUSTON, Texas -- Police say a man was hit while he was changing his tire on the shoulder of the North Freeway at West Road.

It happened early Sunday morning. Police say a white Mazda sedan hit the man and his car, causing a major chain-reaction crash involving a total of five vehicles.

Police say the driver of the Mazda fled the scene on foot and left the sedan behind.

Police initially reported the incident as a fatal crash, but they later learned the man lost a leg and is expected to live.

He's the only person in the crash that was injured.

All lanes reopened around 9:30 a.m.

Police say car breakdowns along freeways can be dangerous and say drivers should not try to fix their cars on the side of the road.