A witness video that quickly went viral shows a pickup truck losing control on northbound I-35 near the North New Braunfels Avenue exit, slamming into an overhead highway sign and sending it crashing onto the roadway. The impact scattered debris across the exit area and shut the freeway down for hours. In spite of the violent collision, no other motorists were reported seriously hurt, and police said the driver was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
Witness Video Captures Truck Veering Into Sign
A clip recorded by a passing driver and shared with KENS 5 shows a gray pickup weaving across the right-hand lanes, drifting onto the shoulder, then slamming into the concrete post that supports the overhead signs, the station reports. KENS 5 said it spoke with the person who filmed the crash, who later posted the footage online, where it spread quickly across social media. The video became the centerpiece of local coverage of the shutdown.
Police: Driver Says He Was 'Cut Off'
San Antonio police told reporters the wreck happened just before 8:30 a.m. Saturday on northbound I-35 near the North New Braunfels Avenue exit, and that the 29-year-old driver claimed he had been "cut off" before losing control of the truck, according to KSAT. A preliminary SAPD report states the vehicle hit the support structure for the sign and that the driver was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Investigators said it was not clear whether the other vehicle the driver mentioned stayed at the scene, and the inquiry remains open.
Lanes Closed For Hours As Crews Removed Hazard
State traffic cameras captured the overhead sign for the New Braunfels Avenue exit hanging at an angle after the strike, and officials shut down all northbound lanes so crews could remove the damaged structure, according to MySA. The closure badly tangled the morning commute for drivers, and local outlets reported the highway did not fully reopen until later in the afternoon, after crews finished clearing debris. TxDOT’s online road-conditions map and social media posts warned motorists of "significant delays" during the shutdown, Houston Chronicle reporting noted.
Context And Next Steps
The crash unfolded as an arctic front brought freezing temperatures and slick spots to parts of South Texas that weekend, adding to travel headaches, though authorities have not publicly linked the weather to this particular wreck, KSAT reported. Incidents involving overhead highway signs are rare but carry outsized risks, since crews must remove heavy metal structures and verify that the roadway is safe before reopening, a process that can stretch for hours. San Antonio police and TxDOT had not announced any citations tied to the collision as their investigations continued.
