18-wheeler driver dies in chain-reaction crash of 5 vehicles on U.S. 287 in Arlington
A truck driver was killed in a chain-reaction crash involving three 18-wheelers and two SUVs on U.S. 287 in Arlington late Friday night.
The five-vehicle crash happened in the northbound lanes of 287 near Sublett Road, according to Arlington police. Officers were dispatched about 10:20 p.m.
Investigators believe that prior to the crash, traffic had come to near or complete stop because of ongoing road construction.
As one of the tractor-trailers approached that stretch of highway, the driver did not slow down accordingly and the truck hit the back of another 18-wheeler, police said in a news release. This caused a chain-reaction when the second 18-wheeler collided with a 2016 Land Rover, which crashed into a 2015 Toyota Rav 4, police said. The Rav 4 hit the third 18-wheeler.
The man driving the 18-wheeler that caused the initial wreck was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. He did not have any identification on him.
The drivers of the other two semis, as well as the driver and a passenger in the Land Rover, were taken to area hospitals with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening. The driver of the Rav 4 was treated and released at the accident scene.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office will identify the man who died.
