A truck accident in Sealy, Texas injured one person and killed another when a Texas Disposal Services truck collided with an Old Highway 90 bridge. According to law enforcement, the truck was in a raised position when it hit the overpass, causing debris to fall into traffic on Highway 36.
A white sedan carrying a mother and two children struck the rubble, injuring the mother and killing the child in the front passenger seat.
The mother was flown to Memorial Hermann Hospital in critical condition. The second child exited the car after the wreck and appeared unhurt. Law enforcement stated the second child was released to family members after the wreck.
Although there was a warning system to alert trucks of the bridge, the truck driver appeared to ignore warnings and attempted to pass under the bridge with the boom raised.
“There is a wire that is suspended across the street with metal tubes or cylinders that hang down,” the Sealy Police Chief said. “There’s a huge sign that says if you hit this, you are going to hit the bridge.”
According to other drivers, the truck hit the warning mechanism without stopping or slowing down. Other drivers behind the truck filmed the accident, but police have not released the video.
Because of the circumstances surrounding the case, police said they are treating the investigation like a homicide. “That part of the truck was suspended when it should’ve been down,” the Police Chief said.
The condition of the truck driver, a 72-year-old man, is unknown.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the bridge was replaced roughly a year and a half ago when it was damaged in another car accident. TxDOT is investigating the accident and said the bridge was last inspected in April 2015.
A TxDOT representative also noted that Highway 36 and the bridge were going to be elevated in the future to avoid flooding.
