HOUSTON -- A state worker was killed on the Gulf Freeway in southeast Houston Monday morning.

The worker was picking up trash in the grassy area along the freeway when he was struck by two vehicles.

The driver of one of those vehicles told 11 News he was going down the road in the right lane near the Edgebrook exit when a cardboard box blew in front of him.

He swerved to miss it, and as he did, another car swerved to avoid him.

The vehicles collided and slid off the road onto the grassy area where the worker was.

They hit the worker and came to a stop on the service road.

The worker was pinned under one of the vehicles and died at the scene.