Driver Survives Fiery 18-Wheeler Roll Over

The driver of an 18-wheeler that rolled over and burst into flames on Interstate 10 this morning walked away from the wreck and declined medical treatment.

The wreck happened around 10 a.m. about a mile east of the Highway 90 intersection on Interstate 10, about halfway between Schulenburg and Weimar. The driver reported that a tire blew out as his truck was approaching the overpass that crosses the Union Pacific railroad tracks. He said the blown-out tire was forcing the rig into the median and toward a precipitous drop-off to the railroad tracks below. The driver said the truck fliped on its side as he fought the steering wheeling.

The truck and trailer slid approximately 300 feet onto the overpass bridge. The truck came to rest facing south with the cab hanging over the bridge guardrails. The driver was able to crawl out of the cab as the truck burst into flames. Fayette County EMS responded to the scene, but the driver declined medical treatment. Schulenburg Volunteer Fire Department extinguished the burning truck.

The truck was pulling a full load of crushed limestone. Emergency workers renained on the scene until around 3 p.m. clearing the wreckage. Both eastbound lanes remain closed for five hours. Traffic was diverted to Highway 90, causing an rare hours-long traffic jam in Weimar as thousands of vehicles passes through the town.

Look for more on this story in our Tuesday, July 4, edition.