A fatal three-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 285 outside Pecos, Texas, left one driver dead and three other people injured on the evening of September 3, 2026. The crash happened around 6:15 p.m. near mile marker 367, close to where County Road 302 meets the highway. A pickup truck allegedly failed to merge safely onto US-285 and struck a northbound semi-truck pulling a trailer, pushing the semi into the southbound lane, where it collided with an oncoming pickup. The Texas Department of Public Safety responded to the scene and is investigating what caused the crash.
According to Yourbasin, the driver of the southbound Chevrolet pickup, identified by authorities as 26-year-old Kolton Gochis of Westminster, Colorado, was pronounced dead at Reeves Regional Health. The outlet reported that the semi driver suffered serious injuries, while the driver and passenger of the pickup that allegedly failed to merge safely also sustained injuries. All three surviving occupants were taken to Reeves Regional Health for treatment. DPS said the investigation into the crash remains ongoing.