HOUSTON – A driver is dead after a fiery 18-wheeler crash on Hardy Toll Road inbound at Aldine Bender, deputies said.
Precinct 4 constable deputies said they were assisting Precinct 1 deputies with a big rig fire in the 14700 block of the Hardy Toll Road after receiving a call around 5:30 a.m. about the crash.
Pct. 4 Chief Deputy Calvin Harvey said the driver of the 18-wheeler drifted off on the shoulder and struck a retaining wall. The big rig caught fire after the impact, Harvey said.
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According to Harvey, officials are working to recover the driver’s remains. A medical examiner is expected to determine the cause of death.
Harvey said as of now, investigators are unsure of how the victim lost control while driving the 18-wheeler.
The southbound lanes of the Hardy Toll Road were shut down by emergency crews but some have since reopened. The right lane and right shoulder remain closed.
Drivers were urged to find alternate routes since there were delays in the area. Lanes didn’t open back up for several hours.