A late Friday run on U.S. 83 ended in tragedy when a 52-year-old Weslaco man was killed after the tractor-trailer he was driving overturned in Dimmit County. The single-vehicle rollover happened near Catarina and left the cab resting in the northbound lane, where the driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
In a statement reported by KABB, the Texas Department of Public Safety said the crash occurred at about 9:54 p.m. on U.S. 83 at mile marker 654, roughly 18 miles south of Carrizo Springs near Catarina. Troopers described it as a one-vehicle crash and said investigators were still working the scene late into the night.
What DPS Reported
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, a 2020 white International truck tractor was headed south on U.S. 83 when it failed to negotiate a curve at an unsafe speed, overturned and came to rest in the northbound lane. The driver was identified as James Allen Gabriel, 52, of Weslaco, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. DPS officials say the investigation remains ongoing.
Crash Pattern On U.S. 83
The fatal wreck adds to a rough stretch on U.S. 83 this spring. In April, a deadly collision in neighboring Zavala County killed two people, as reported by KSAT. Statewide numbers back up what drivers are seeing on the ground: U.S. and state highways account for a large share of fatal crashes across Texas. The latest figures from TxDOT break down traffic deaths by road type and month.
Investigation And Safety Note
DPS troopers are expected to file a final crash report that could spell out contributing factors such as speed, vehicle condition and toxicology, with additional details typically released once that process wraps up, per the Texas Department of Public Safety. In the meantime, local authorities and safety advocates are again reminding drivers to slow down for curves and to give big rigs extra space on rural highways where a single mistake can turn deadly in seconds.
