Neighbor grabs keys from driver after crash that killed Houston mailman

Seconds after Franko Ornelas saw his neighborhood’s U.S. Postal Service vehicle wrapped around a pole off his driveway Saturday morning, he decided to take action.

“I grabbed his keys,” said Ornelas on Sunday.

The accident consisted of the postal service vehicle being hit from behind by a pick-up truck. Steven Marks, the 58-year-old postman operating the mail delivery vehicle, died as a result of the accident.

Ornelas said his sole focus after he quickly surveyed the scene was on the driver of the truck who caused the accident.

FIRST REPORT: Postal worker killed in crash on Antoine Drive; driver charged with intoxication manslaughter

“We couldn’t do anything for the mailman, he was in bad shape,” said Ornelas.

The driver, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Jose Humberto Romero, was kept in check by citizens until officers showed up to the scene. He was arrested for intoxication manslaughter according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

The death of Mark came as a shock to the community he served for years.

“He was very nice. Every time (he) passed, he was very happy,” one woman told KPRC 2 after she delivered flowers to a makeshift memorial.

For Ornelas, the twenty-four hours after the accident have been challenging.

“I couldn’t sleep at night, but I did my prayers. I feel sorry for families, friends and relatives and our whole community. We are going to miss him,” said Ornelas.

According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, in years past, an intoxication manslaughter charge would have been classified as a second-degree felony. Under a new Texas law, it is now a first-degree felony if the defendant has a prior DWI conviction. Gonzales said that appears to have been the case with Romero back in 2023.