SAN ANTONIO – A fatal crash involving a car and an 18-wheeler shut down southbound Interstate 35 at Rittiman Road on the Northeast Side for nearly five hours on Thursday, July 16.
Emergency crews were dispatched to the interstate between Rittiman and Loop 410 around 9:30am. 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, which caused the rig to jack-knife, said San Antonio Police Department Sgt. Fidel Acosta.
When the driver came to a stop, he found a Chevrolet Cobalt wedged under the trailer. The driver of the car, identified by the Bexar County Medical Examiner as Michael Hill, 61, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The 18-wheeler had jack-knifed across three lanes of the highway, forcing the diversion of all southbound traffic 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 reported.
photo courtesy of mysanantonio
