Single Mom Is Run Over and Killed in Her Driveway 2 Days Before Christmas — and Driver Was Allegedly Chasing Girlfriend

A Texas family is grieving the sudden loss of their mother and primary provider after she was struck and killed in her own driveway just days before Christmas.

Xochitl Santos, 43, died outside her Houston home on Dec. 23 after being hit by a vehicle, according to a statement from the Houston Police Department. While authorities did not initially release her name, records from the Harris County medical examiner later identified the victim as Santos.

Police said the crash occurred around 4:30 p.m. when a 34-year-old man driving a white vehicle was allegedly chasing a gold sedan down the street. Investigators said the driver ran a stop sign, lost control of his car, and struck Santos in her driveway. No charges have been filed in connection with the incident.

According to reports from ABC 11, the driver was allegedly pursuing his girlfriend, who was in the gold sedan, at the time of the crash. Police have not publicly confirmed those details.

Officials said Santos was standing near a vehicle when she was hit and pinned, suffering catastrophic injuries. She was transported to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Santos was the mother of four and worked as a housekeeper. An employer who shared fundraising information for her children described her as devoted, hardworking, and deeply caring.

“She was a single mom, but you would never know that unless you really listened. That did not define her,” Janella Cordray Armstrong wrote in an online tribute. “She was hardworking, loyal, trustworthy, and the kindest soul on the planet. She wasn’t the help. She was my friend.”

Armstrong also shared a final, personal memory of Santos, recalling how she affectionately interacted with the family’s pets and treated them as her own. She said Santos’ children hope to continue and expand her business in her memory, calling them “just as strong as she is.”

Harris County records list Santos’ death as an accident. Police said the driver involved was detained and later released. Authorities have not indicated whether charges will be filed, stating that the investigation remains ongoing.