U.S. 59 reopens in Lufkin after 18-wheeler entrapment causes 7-hour delay

LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) - U.S. 59 South in Lufkin has reopened after a crash involving two 18-wheelers and resulting in an injury caused lengthy delays.

One person was reported injured in the Wednesday morning wreck, which involved two 18-wheelers in the southern part of Lufkin.

According to authorities, around 8 a.m. Lufkin Police and Fire Department were called to a collision on U.S. 59 South near Southwood Drive and FM 324. One of the drivers was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities say. One of the 18-wheelers lost its load of 25-foot steel pipes and spilled it across the highway.

The driver was temporarily trapped in the “mangled” cab of his 18-wheeler, a later update from the city said. According to the release, he was able to walk to the stretcher and was treated only for minor injuries.

The driver of the other tanker, which was turned onto its side in the crash, did not require treatment. The chemicals his truck was carrying leaked briefly into the roadway, the release said, and HAZMAT was able to clear the scene.

In addition to Lufkin PD and Lufkin Fire, Texas DOS, TxDOT, Lone Star HAZMAT, and the Texas Department of Emergency Management assisted in managing the scene.