Dallas, Texas – According to Fox 4 News citing official info from the Dallas Fire-Rescue, the driver of a semi-truck lost consciousness and crashed into a line of vehicles at the busy junction of Plano Road and Miller Road just before 12:30 p.m. on Monday. This altered traffic in Far Northeast Dallas immediately. A chain collision involving heavy machinery, public transit, and passenger traffic followed. One person died and six others were hurt.
Authorities say the out-of-control semi first hit another 18-wheeler, then crashed into a Dallas Area Rapid Transit bus, a box truck, and a car. As responders rushed to get to victims in several damaged cars that were spread out over the intersection, each hit made things more chaotic and powerful. Witness accounts have not yet been released, but the sequence as described by responders underscores how quickly a medical crisis behind the wheel of a large truck can ripple outward on a crowded roadway.
Seven individuals were treated at hospitals in the vicinity. Dallas Fire-Rescue said that five of the injured people did not have life-threatening injuries. Another patient was in serious but stable condition. The driver of the semi-truck, who seemed to be having a medical emergency that caused the crash, was also taken to the hospital but died shortly after.
The names of those involved have not been made public by the authorities. That includes the truck driver, the patient who was hurt severely, and the people who were hurt less seriously. Before that information may be made public, families must be notified and proper identification procedures must be followed.
The investigation is still going on. Officers and Dallas Fire-Rescue workers think that a medical episode may have led the driver to lose control, but investigators have not yet confirmed what transpired in the cab just before the crash. The final results will likely be based on standard post-crash assessments, which involve inspecting the car, medical records, and talking to other drivers.
As the investigation moves forward, DFR officials are urging drivers to remain cautious and patient when navigating the intersection, which remains a critical area for both commercial and commuter traffic. More details are expected to be released once authorities complete their preliminary findings.
