A late-night stop at an Interstate 20 rest area in Callahan County turned deadly when a 31-year-old Dallas man crashed into the back of a parked truck, setting his car on fire and killing him at the scene, authorities said.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the driver, identified as Samuel Angel Vargas, was behind the wheel of a 2007 Honda Civic traveling eastbound on I-20 near milepost 297 when the car left the main travel lanes and entered the rest area. The Civic then slammed into the rear of a legally parked commercial tractor-trailer. The impact sparked a fire and Vargas was ejected from the vehicle.
Troopers said Vargas was not wearing a seat belt and was pronounced dead at the scene. Two people who were asleep inside the parked commercial vehicle were not injured. The posted speed limit along that stretch of I-20 is 75 mph, according to a DPS news release cited by MyTexasDaily.
Troopers' Account
The wreck occurred Friday at the eastbound rest area, and DPS investigators remained on scene while emergency crews extinguished the blaze, cleared debris and reopened the facility, according to the preliminary report.
The initial account from troopers does not indicate why Vargas left the main lanes or what might have led up to the crash. State investigators are collecting evidence, reviewing the scene and taking witness statements to determine possible contributing factors.
Seat Belts And Ejection Risk
Traffic safety officials have long warned that being thrown from a vehicle in a crash dramatically increases the likelihood of death. Not wearing a seat belt is a major factor in many of those ejections.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety notes that seat belt use remains the single most effective way to prevent ejection and severe injury in a crash. More details on national seat belt use and related research are available from IIHS.
Investigation Continues
DPS has not released any information regarding possible impairment, and no mention of charges appears in the preliminary report. The crash remains under investigation by the Department of Public Safety Crash Records Unit.
Notifications to Vargas' family, along with the official cause and manner of death, will be documented in the final crash report and coroner's findings, according to the initial DPS release reported by MyTexasDaily.
Troopers are asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash or has additional information to contact the Texas Department of Public Safety. Thoughts remain with Vargas' family and the communities affected by the tragedy along that stretch of I-20.
