NEW DETAILS RELEASED ON OIL TANKER CRASH, FIRE ON HIGHWAY 290 IN LEE CO.

  

DPS has released new information about the fiery crash involving an oil tanker on Sunday, June 23^rd on Highway 290 near Ledbetter.

The accident report from DPS Trooper Jon Martinez states that shortly after 10:45 a.m., a 2013 Mack Pinnacle tractor-trailer collided with a 2024 Mazda CX-90 SUV. 

According to the report, the 18-wheeler was stopped at FM 180 and failed to yield the right-of-way to westbound traffic as it crossed the highway.  The SUV shifted from the right-hand westbound lane to the left lane to avoid hitting other vehicles that were braking and moving to avoid the 18-wheeler themselves.  The SUV’s front end hit the center of the tank on the left side of the trailer, which was holding roughly 175 crude oil barrels.

As the 18-wheeler moved into the inside shoulder of the eastbound side of Highway 290, the SUV was pulled by the trailer into the center median of the highway.  The truck, trailer and SUV then caught on fire.

The female driver and male passenger of the SUV were able to get out of the vehicle and were transported by a private citizen to an urgent care center in Giddings before being taken by ambulance to Dell Seton Medical Center in Austin with critical burn injuries. 

The driver, who according to the Giddings Times and News was 8 months pregnant, had her baby delivered by C-section at the hospital.  The baby is reported to be doing okay. 

The driver of the 18-wheeler was not injured, but he was issued a citation by DPS for Failure to Yield Right of Way at a Stop Sign.

Both the eastbound and westbound lanes of the highway were blocked until early the next morning, with traffic rerouted onto county roads.