A late-night crash on the LBJ Freeway turned deadly early yesterday when a car hit a person standing outside a disabled vehicle that was being loaded onto a tow truck, Dallas police said. The wreck happened just after midnight on eastbound I-635, near the southbound Dallas North Tollway, and left the tow truck’s flatbed partially overturned. The 53-year-old driver of the striking vehicle was taken into custody at the scene, taken to a hospital for evaluation, and then later booked into the county jail.
According to investigators, the driver’s car collided with the tow truck while the disabled vehicle was being pulled onto the flatbed. The car then partially drove up onto the tow truck and overturned, striking a pedestrian who had been standing outside the disabled vehicle. The person who was hit was taken to a hospital and later died. Authorities have not released the victim’s identity. These details and the arrest were reported by The Dallas Morning News.
What the charge means
Police said the driver faces an intoxication manslaughter charge. Under Texas law, intoxication manslaughter is set out in Texas Penal Code §49.08, which generally makes it a felony to operate a vehicle while intoxicated and, because of that intoxication, cause another person’s death. The offense typically falls in the range of a second-degree felony, with penalties that can be increased in certain circumstances. Prosecutors will decide whether to seek any additional counts or enhancements once investigators finish compiling evidence from the scene.
Local safety context
Crashes that kill people standing near disabled vehicles or working along the roadside are one of several deadly patterns now closely watched across Dallas. A city work group has recently described Dallas as among the most dangerous large cities in Texas for pedestrian fatalities, citing Vision Zero data and city crash records. The statewide agency TxDOT has also highlighted impaired-driving prevention in its safety campaigns, noting that impaired driving remains a major factor in traffic deaths in Texas. As reported by The Dallas Morning News and reflected in TxDOT materials, officials continue to push engineering changes and enforcement efforts aimed at driving those numbers down.
What happens next
Dallas police said the Major Crash Unit is continuing to investigate, documenting the scene and gathering physical and digital evidence. In cases that involve alleged intoxication, toxicology and vehicle-forensics work typically follow the initial on-scene response. The arrested man remains in custody as the case moves through the magistrate booking and the county legal process, and prosecutors will review the investigation file before formal court filings are made. The department has not released further identifying information about either the victim or the suspect at this time.
