Persons traveling on Highway 59 northbound near the Walmart Shopping Complex should be ready for delays as emergency responders and clean up crews are working to clear up the debris from an early morning wreck and fire. The northbound side of Highway 59 is closed from Whitehouse Drive to South Medford Drive due to an accident involving an 18-wheeler that caught fire.

The accident happened around 6 a.m., when the 18-wheeler driver had a head-on collision with a concrete barrier leading to the Highway 59 flyover. Investigators do not know what caused him to hit the barrier.  The driver of the truck was hauling two trailers that were carrying tractor tires.

(Roman Collins video)

Thankfully, a passerby stopped and pulled the driver to safety before the truck became completely engulfed in flames. Lufkin Fire quickly arrived on the scene, extinguished the blaze and transported the man to a local hospital. His injuries are not believed to be life threatening.

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As of 7:45 a.m., the northbound feeder is being used to divert traffic. Officials with Lufkin Police and Fire along with the Texas Department of Transportation expect it to take four to five hours to clear the accident scene. As of right now, the traffic in the area is not heavy, however, as people get out and about this morning, officials are expecting major backup and delays. So, if part of your morning plans were to visit one of the many stores in that area of Lufkin, you may want to postpone those plans until later in the afternoon.

TxDOT is on the scene with barricades and the crash remains under investigation.

18-Wheeler Wreck

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