Deadly crash involves semi loaded with tar paper near Alma, TX

The Texas Department of Public Safety near Alma spent Saturday morning working to open a highway after a deadly, fiery crash.

A semi and a truck collided around 1:15 a.m. on Southbound I-45 in Ellis County. The truck burned for several hours.

Early Saturday morning, all lanes were closed, which created long delays. By 9:00 a.m., the far left lane was opened up, to allow some traffic through.

A preliminary investigation showed that the semi was attempting to move off to the shoulder because of a malfunctioning tire. Then, a pickup drove into the back of it. It is not known why the pickup ran into the semi, DPS said.

The driver of the pickup died at the scene. The 32-year-old male semi driver from Hialeah, Florida, was not injured, DPS said.

The semi-trailer was loaded with tar paper.