A Reeves County man was killed and a truck driver was hospitalized after a head-on collision on US-285 early Saturday, August 22, 2026. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, a 2021 Ford F-150 driven by Michael Drake Jones, 30, drifted out of the outside southbound lane, crossed the center line, and entered the northbound lane around 7:20 a.m. The pickup struck a northbound 2006 Kenworth semi-truck pulling a trailer, driven by Ryan Thad Delaughter, 49, of Ridgecrest, Louisiana, head-on. Jones was pronounced dead at the scene, while Delaughter was taken to Reeves County Hospital for treatment.
yourbasin.com reported that after the impact, the semi-truck and its trailer left the roadway and came to rest in the westbound bar ditch, while the F-150 stopped facing east in the northbound lane. The outlet, citing DPS, noted the crash remains under investigation and that no further details had been released. No information on extended road closures following the crash was reported. Beverly Law extends its condolences to everyone affected by this crash.
