Beaumont, TX (July 5, 2026) – Two commercial truck drivers were hurt after one 18-wheeler struck another parked on the shoulder of the southbound I-10 near Walden Rd in Beaumont, Texas, in the early morning hours of Friday, July 3.
The accident was reported at approximately 12:10 a.m. The preliminary investigation found that the first 18-wheeler had pulled onto the shoulder so the driver could inspect possible damage, believed to have been caused by another vehicle that may have sideswiped the truck before leaving the area. A second southbound 18-wheeler then struck the parked commercial vehicle, causing extensive damage to both the cab and trailer of each truck.
Both drivers were taken to a local hospital with injuries. Their conditions had not been released at the time of the initial report on the collision. The southbound lanes of I-10 were diverted onto the feeder road for several hours while crews worked to clear the wreck and remove the damaged vehicles.
No names were included in the early report on the crash. The vehicle believed to have initially sideswiped the first truck had already left before emergency units arrived.
The cause of the broader sequence of events remains under investigation, and additional findings will be shared as they become available.
We hope both drivers recover fully from their injuries.
What to Know About 18-Wheeler Crashes on Texas Interstate Shoulders
Pulling onto the shoulder of a busy interstate is one of the most dangerous positions a commercial truck driver can be in, particularly on a high-speed corridor like I-10. Even with hazard lights activated, a large stationary vehicle on or near the shoulder can be difficult for approaching drivers to process in time, especially at night when depth perception and contrast are reduced. The closing speed between a moving 18-wheeler and a parked one can leave almost no margin for reaction.
Texas has a Move Over law that requires drivers to change lanes or slow down when passing emergency vehicles or stopped vehicles with hazard lights on the shoulder. Commercial vehicles are among the heaviest and least maneuverable on the road, which means the force involved when one strikes another at highway speed can be extreme, even if the moving truck had begun to brake before contact.
Shoulder stops involving commercial trucks also create secondary hazards for other drivers, since debris, spilled cargo, and blocked lanes can persist long after the initial crash as crews work to clear vehicles that may weigh tens of thousands of pounds each.
