Just after 6:00 p.m. on October 10, 2020 an incident involving an 18-wheeler occurred near downtown Beaumont on Interstate 10. The 18-wheeler reportedly flipped, ultimately catching on fire and killing the driver.
Moments after the incident, an off-duty Beaumont police officer attempted to rescue the victim, however he was unable to when the vehicle caught fire. The officer is reportedly injured from the fire and is recovering in a nearby hospital.
It is reported that the driver was a 57-year-old man named Jose Flores, of Alvin, Texas. Currently, the investigation as to the exact cause is still ongoing. Unfortunately, after the incident occurred, the 18-wheeler became engulfed in flames making it impossible to rescue Mr. Flores.
The Beaumont Police Department posted on their Facebook page “the preliminary investigation has revealed that the tractor trailer was hauling hazardous chemicals when it lost control, causing the commercial vehicle to overturn and ignite into flames.” According to reports from Beaumont Police, hazardous material was leaking from the 18-wheeler, causing authorities to shut down both lanes of traffic for almost 12 hours. It remains unreported specifically what the leaking hazardous material was, or to what extent it may have affected the surrounding community, however the investigation is ongoing.
Benny Agosto, Jr. partner at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, represents the family of the deceased and is investigating the cause of the fire.
If you or someone you know has been injured or killed as a result of a commercial vehicle collision, contact an attorney at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling (713) 222-7211 or 713-222-7211