Crane falls onto truck driving on Texas interstate, killing 2 men, officials say
Two men died after a crane malfunctioned and fell on top of their pickup truck as they drove down Interstate 10 in southeast Texas, officials said.
The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed that Sarfaraz Karowadia, 37, and Altaf Kasowadia, 42, both of Friendswood, were killed after the crane crushed their Toyota pickup on I-10 west of Beaumont, KBMT reported.
Around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, someone reported that heavy equipment fell off a commercial vehicle and caused an accident, but investigators discovered construction crews were using the crane while working on the I-10 widening project when it malfunctioned, according to KTRK.
The men were pronounced dead at the scene, the Beaumont Enterprise reported. Traffic was stopped for hours, according to KBMT.
It’s not clear what relation, if any, the men had, KTRK reported. The Department of Public Safety did not immediately respond to a request for more information from McClatchy News.
The construction company involved with the I-10 project is contracted with the Texas Department of Transportation, according to KBMT.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by the tragic event Thursday,” a TxDOT spokesperson said in a statement given to KTRK. “We can confirm that [the department] has an active contract with Johnson Brothers Corporation for the I-10 construction project … [the department] is saddened by this accident and loss of life, and we offer our most sincere condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of those involved.”
Both DPS and TxDOT are investigating the incident, according to KBMT.