ORANGE, Orange County, Texas, Nov. 9, 2026 — A pedestrian died on Saturday morning, November 7, after being struck by a tractor trailer on Interstate 10 West near 16th Street in Orange, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The collision was reported at about 10:45 a.m. The man who was hit has not been publicly identified. Orange County Pct. 2 Justice of the Peace Chad Jenkins has ordered an autopsy to help determine the exact cause of death, he said.
The westbound lanes of Interstate 10 were shut down for several hours afterward, and traffic backed up for miles before the highway reopened. No information has been released on the driver of the tractor trailer or on any charges.
Orange police are still working to piece together what led up to the crash. The circumstances that put the pedestrian on the interstate have not been disclosed.
Our condolences go out to the family and friends of the deceased.
Intersection Crashes in Texas
This pedestrian crash happened at Interstate 10 and 16th Street in Orange, Texas. Our Texas intersections page covers intersection crashes across Texas.
Frequently Asked Questions
What injuries are most common in pedestrian accidents?
Pedestrians struck by vehicles frequently suffer head trauma, spinal injuries, broken bones and internal injuries. Because there is little protecting a person on foot, these crashes commonly cause severe or fatal harm even at moderate speeds.
What are the most common causes of pedestrian accidents?
Driver inattention, failure to yield, poor visibility and pedestrians crossing outside marked areas are frequent factors. On highways, a pedestrian's presence on or near travel lanes can itself create sudden, hard-to-avoid hazards for drivers.
How does vehicle speed affect pedestrian survival?
Survival rates drop sharply as speed increases. A pedestrian struck at highway speeds faces a much lower chance of survival than one hit in a slow-moving residential zone, since higher speed means greater force of impact and less time for a driver to react.
Where do most pedestrian accidents happen?
Many occur at intersections, crosswalks and roadway shoulders, but incidents also happen on highways and interstates when a pedestrian ends up in or near traffic lanes, as appears to be the case in this crash.
