FATALITY ACCIDENT/TRAFFIC ALERT:
Lufkin Police are on the scene of a fatality accident in which an 18-wheeler
drove through Autozone on Timberland Drive.
The accident happened around 4:25 a.m. when the southbound 18-wheeler
left the road for an unknown reason at the Tulane intersection and traveled
several hundred yards before entering and exiting the Autozone building.
The truck came to rest in a Kiwanis Park tree line behind a
neighboring office building.
When officers and firefighters arrived on the scene, they found that
the driver was deceased. Firefighters worked for 30 minutes to extricate him
from the cab.
The truck tore down power lines after leaving the road. Initially, 900
homes were without power but that number was down to 26 as of 6 a.m. Oncor is
on the scene.
Two vehicles in the Autozone parking lot were also damaged in the
accident.
The truck driver was from out of state. He was hauling bananas.
The accident remains under investigation.
The northbound lanes of Timberland Drive from South First Street to
Tulane Drive are blocked. Traffic is moving in the area with motorists sharing
the southbound lanes.
Expect delays, use caution and avoid the area if at all possible as
cleanup continues.
Video
here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/377ltax8gbb6u8p/Fatality%20accident%20Autozone.MOV?dl=0
Thanks,
Jessica
Pebsworth
Communications
Director
City
of Lufkin
