A garbage truck driver was killed and a passenger was left in critical condition Wednesday evening after their truck struck support pillars of a bridge overpass on U.S. 287 in Fort Worth, Texas. The crash, which occurred around 6 p.m. in the 3500 block of Martin Luther King Freeway near Erath Street, ejected the driver from the vehicle; he was pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. The impact caused significant structural damage to the overpass, forcing authorities to shut down all lanes of the highway in both directions.
According to CBS News Texas, Fort Worth police said the southbound lanes of U.S. 287 were closed at Erath Street, with southbound traffic detoured at Berry Street and northbound traffic diverted at Miller Street. The outlet reported that police said the main lanes would remain closed for at least seven to ten days while crews evaluate the bridge’s structural integrity. The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Fort Worth Police and Fire Departments.
