Truck With a Raised Bed Slams Into Overhead Signs on Texas Interstate, Closing Roadway for Hours
A crash involving a truck with a raised asphalt bed knocked down overhead signs and forced the closure of an interstate in San Antonio, Texas. The accident forced the closure of the lower level of I-35 North for at least five hours on Tuesday.
The crash happened just after 1 a.m., according to the Texas Department of Transportation. The 54-year-old truck driver apparently forgot to lower the asphalt bed before entering the highway. The truck struck the road sign structure, scattering debris onto the roadway and snarling traffic while the scene was cleaned up.
The San Antonio Police Department reported that the truck driver was uninjured in the crash. No one else was involved in the accident. The incident is currently under investigation.
MySanAntonio.com reported that traffic was backed up after the accident, causing drivers to travel at about 9 miles per hour. Travelers were urged to avoid the area and find an alternate route.
These types of dump truck accidents happen more often than one might think
In May 2024, dashcam video from Virginia caught the moment a dump truck trailer crashed into a highway support. Virginia State Police said the crash happened just after 3:30 p.m. along Interstate 66.
A month prior to that, an overhead traffic sign fell onto the outer loop of I-440 in North Carolina when a dump truck hit it. The Raleigh Police Department said the truck driver wouldn’t face any charges, but construction workers quickly brought in equipment to push the damaged sign and debris off the road.
In November, a dump truck struck two overhead signs, causing one to collapse and damaging the other. The accident closed Interstate 70 in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio Department of Transportation crews had to use cranes to lift the fallen sign back into place.
As far back as 2017, another truck near Houston, Texas, smashed into an overhead highway sign despite warnings. The man who took the video said he repeatedly tried to let the driver know that the bed was up before the accident.
