The driver of a tractor-trailer died during a deadly accident on July 3 after his truck was cut off by another vehicle and fell off the Houston Ship Channel bridge, crashing upside down onto an industrial facility below.
The truck driver – who was identified by Houston police as 24-year-old Marcos Jasso – initially survived, but was pinned in the wreckage. Police said he later died during the rescue attempt.
It was the second time in a week in Houston that a truck driver was killed in a deadly accident. On June 27, a tractor-trailer truck crashed off a bridge near Houston on Interstate 10 in Channelview and landed in the San Jacinto River.
The driver was identified as 60-year-old Steve Martinez of San Antonio, according to several news stations. He worked for Rich Logistics, a company based in Cudahy, Wisconsin.
During the accident on July 3 involving Jasso, Houston police officials said they had a witness who stated a car had cut off the truck driver.
“We do have a witness that says a small vehicle cut him off. So he tried to avoid hitting another vehicle and I’m guessing he overshot and then fell down the freeway,” Houston Police Commander Patricia Cantu said during a July 3 press conference.
Schneider, the company Jasso was working for, released the following statement:
“A Schneider truck was involved in an accident on the Ship Channel bridge in Houston. First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the driver who died as a result of his injuries. We are working with first responders on the scene and will fully cooperate with authorities to assist in the investigation of this unfortunate incident.”
The crash that killed Martinez occurred around 3:30 a.m. June 27, when a Chevrolet Cavalier collided with a different tractor-trailer truck near where westbound Interstate 10 crosses the San Jacinto River. The Chevrolet Cavalier had spun around to face traffic and did not have any lights on, authorities said.
A sheriff’s deputy was interviewing the Chevrolet’s 18-year-old driver and 23-year-old passenger when the tractor-trailer truck driven by Martinez came down the road and swerved away from the Chevrolet and went through the guardrail, crashing into the river. No one else was injured in the incident.
Harris County (Houston) Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said Martinez may have performed “a last heroic act” by maneuvering his vehicle to avoid the three people on the side of the road.
“It’s very much a miracle that no one else was hurt,” Gonzalez said, according to a story in the Houston Chronicle.
Rich Logistics released the following statement: “Rich Logistics is deeply saddened by the tragic death of its driver. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. This matter is currently being investigated and we are unable to provide any further information at this time.”