A blown tire on one semi led to evasive action by the driver of a second semi that turned deadly.
The Friday afternoon incident on the freeway near University resulted in the death of a passenger in the second semi and the driver being flown by helicopter to a local hospital for treatment of incapacitating injuries.
College Station police determined the driver of the second semi went into the median after not being able to slow down to traffic reacting to the first semi losing a tire.
The second semi was pulling a flatbed trailer, which became detached and fell on top of the cab.
College Station firefighters spent two hours to remove those inside the cab. CSFD reports crews could not determine who was the driver and who was the passenger due to the extent of damage.
Freeway traffic was backed up for miles in both directions during the Friday afternoon commute.
Northbound traffic unwound about two and a half hours after the crash. Southbound lanes remained closed at the crash site through much of the night, and that traffic was diverted to the feeder road, due to CSPD’s investigation.
The passenger who died was identified as 45 year old Teresa Ann Schwertner-Lee of Anderson.
Anyone with information pertaining to this accident is asked to call CSPD at 979-764-3600.
From College Station police:
On Friday, May 24 2019 at approximately 4:46 PM, officers with the College Station Police Department were dispatched to Highway 6 South at University Drive in reference to a major accident.
Officers arrived on scene and were able to determine that an 18-wheeler was traveling southbound on Highway 6, approaching University Drive, when one of its tires separated from the vehicle.
Parts of the tire from the 18-wheeler landed into an adjacent traffic lane, causing all of the vehicles also traveling southbound behind the 18-wheeler to slow down.
However, another 18-wheeler with an attached flat-bed trailer was unable to slow down and steered into the grass median.
After steering into the grass median, the flat-bed trailer detached from the 18-wheeler and landed on the cab of the 18-wheeler.
When the flat-bed trailer landed on top of the cab of the 18-wheeler, it severely injured the driver and passenger.
When officers approached the cab of the 18-wheeler, that had the flat-bed trailer attached, they discovered that the driver had sustained incapacitating injuries and the passenger was deceased.
The driver was taken by helicopter to an area hospital. The 18-wheeler that had the tire to separate from it continued to travel southbound on Highway 6.
Highway 6 southbound is closed to traffic until further notice.
The College Station Police Department’s Accident Reconstruction Team and the Crime Scene Unit are on scene to assist with the investigation.
The name of the deceased passenger is not being released at this time, pending notification of next of kin.
The public will be notified when the roadway is back open.
Anyone with information pertaining to this accident is encouraged to contact the College Station Police Department at 979-764-3600.
Original story:
An overturned truck in the median of Rudder Freeway between University and Briarcrest Friday afternoon backed up traffic for miles in both directions.
WTAW listeners first notified the newsroom shortly before 5 p.m. of the crash. Within 30 minutes, the northbound backup was past the Texas Avenue flyover and the southbound backup began at Briarcrest.
Traffic was diverted to feeder roads while first responders waited for a helicopter to arrive.
