Houston drivers already wrestle with unpredictable traffic, but one motorist recently found out the real surprise sometimes shows up in the mailbox. Four months after dodging road debris and wrecking her car, Christine Diaz says Harris County’s toll road authority billed her for the scrapes her Ford Mustang left on a concrete barrier.

Diaz explained that the chain of events started when she swerved to avoid a large green storage container on the Beltway

With little time to react, her car clipped the wall, ricocheted, and lost a back tire.

She managed to get off the tollway with the help of a wrecker and a constable. The Mustang was later totaled, ending what she described as her first fully paid-off vehicle.

To get back on the road, she purchased a replacement car with a monthly payment nearing $500.

Months later came the certified letter: a $187 bill from Harris County’s Office of Management and Budget

Houston officials said her crash left black marks on the barrier that required power washing and repainting.

According to data obtained by ABC13, Diaz’s case fell under the system’s most common category, “scuffs and scrapes.”

The Houston toll road authority filed 1,245 such claims between early 2024 and mid-2025

In total, nearly 1,900 claims worth about $1.5 million have been filed against drivers in that period.

Authority staff explained that unaddressed scuffs can lead to deterioration because they allow moisture to seep in. They added that toll revenue is their only funding source, so not recouping damage costs would shift the burden onto other motorists.

By contrast, TxDOT has the power to pursue drivers for highway damage but reported no recent cases.

Diaz challenged the bill, arguing debris caused her crash

After letters back and forth, the county attorney’s office threatened legal action if she didn’t pay.

Her insurer eventually covered the claim. Diaz said the amount wasn’t the point; she felt penalized multiple times for a single accident.