A 26-year-old man suffered serious injuries Saturday night when a speeding Dodge Challenger slammed into the back of the commercial vehicle he was driving on Interstate 35 South, sending it rolling off the highway and into a private business before the other driver took off on foot. The crash happened around 9:30 p.m. in the 8500 block of I-35 South near Somerset Road, and as of Sunday, police had not located the driver who fled.
According to a preliminary police report cited by the San Antonio Express-News, the 2019 Dodge Challenger struck the rear of the commercial vehicle at a high rate of speed, causing it to roll over, leave the roadway, and strike a nearby business. The San Antonio Police Department responded to the scene, and the injured driver was taken to the hospital. The Dodge driver fled on foot and has not been found, with the investigation still ongoing.
The collision triggered a complete shutdown of all main southbound lanes on I-35 near Somerset Road, with officials issuing a travel advisory and estimating the closure would last until 12:45 p.m. Sunday, according to Truck Accident Hub. Crews cleared the crash site and debris from the roadway as the overnight closure rippled through weekend traffic on the South Side.
A Stretch of Highway With a Troubled History
This isn't the first time the 8500-8700 block of I-35 South near Somerset Road has seen a major wreck. In March, a tire blowout on an 18-wheeler along the same stretch knocked down an overhead highway sign and shut the freeway down for hours, per Carabin Shaw. And in July 2025, a stolen car collided head-on with a passenger bus near the same interchange, killing four people and injuring 18 others, as reported by MySA.
The corridor's risks are tied in part to its role as a major freight route. I-35 through San Antonio is part of a 590-mile international trade artery linking Laredo to destinations farther north, according to KSAT. TxDOT launched a corridor study this year to examine safety and infrastructure upgrades along the route.
Fleeing the Scene Carries Steep Legal Risk
If the Dodge driver is identified and caught, Texas law treats leaving the scene of a crash that causes serious bodily injury as a serious matter. Under Texas Transportation Code § 550.021, failing to stop and render aid after such a collision is a third-degree felony punishable by two to ten years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to FindLaw. Even if a court later grants probation in such a case, state law requires a mandatory minimum jail term of 120 days as a condition of that supervision, per Saputo Toufexis Law.
The commercial vehicle also struck a private business after leaving the highway.
Part of a Broader Pattern on Local Roads
The timing of Saturday's crash fits a broader statewide pattern. Fatal crashes occur at different hours, while reduced visibility and speeding can affect road safety, according to A-LA Auto Insurance. Bexar County alone recorded 46,744 traffic crashes in 2025, resulting in 190 fatalities and 759 serious injuries, per state traffic records analyzed by Ryan Orsatti Law. Statewide, Texas logged 4,150 traffic fatalities and more than 251,000 injuries in 2024, with a reportable crash occurring somewhere on state roadways roughly every 57 seconds, according to DeHoyos Law.
Saturday's crash is the latest in a string of hit-and-run incidents reported around San Antonio in recent days, including a South Side chase crash that injured a woman. San Antonio police have not released a description of the Dodge Challenger driver, and the investigation into Saturday's rollover remains active.
