Truck driver dies after smashing through store – hundreds lose power, Texas cops say
An 18-wheeler smashed through an auto parts store in Texas, killing the driver and causing hundreds to lose power, police in Lufkin say.
The Lufkin Police Department received a call about a crash around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 24, and arrived to find a big rig had plowed into the front of an Autozone and come out the other side, essentially cutting the building in half.
The truck, which was hauling bananas, came to a stop in a wooded area of Kiwanis Park, a short distance from a neighboring office building, Lufkin police said.
The town of Lufkin is roughly 120 miles northeast of Houston.
Investigators say the 18-wheeler was traveling south when suddenly, “for an unknown reason,” it veered off the road for “several hundred yards,” knocking out power lines, damaging two parked cars, and then colliding with the Autozone.
First responders found the driver dead inside the cab upon their arrival, and it took half an hour to remove his body.
Around 900 homes lost power due to the crash, according to police. Electricity was restored to most within about two hours.
The driver, who was from out-of-state, has not been identified.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
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