Fatal crash involving big rig shuts down Interstate 35 on San Antonio's Northeast Side
By Mark D. Wilson : July 16, 2015 : Updated: July 16, 2015 2:54pm
Southbound Interstate 35 was shut down at Rittiman Road on the Northeast Side for nearly five hours Thursday following a fatal crash involving a car and an 18-wheeler.
Emergency crews were dispatched to interstate between Rittiman and Loop 410 around 9:30 a.m. after receiving reports of the crash.
A man driving an 18-wheeler in the center lane heading southbound noticed a small car to his right before the crash, police said.
The big rig driver felt an impact on his trailer and hit the brakes, said San Antonio Police Department Sgt. Fidel Acosta.
When the driver finally came to a stop, he found a Chevrolet Cobalt wedged under the trailer. The driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene.
The 18-wheeler was jack-knifed across three lanes of the highway and all southbound traffic was diverted onto the access road and Loop 410.
Traffic backed up for miles while crews worked to clear the scene.
Lanes were reopened around 2:30 p.m.
No other injuries were sustained.