SAN ANTONIO – An 18-wheeler plunged off an exit ramp and erupted into flames, killing the driver early Tuesday on the city's far Northwest Side.
Police said the driver was on the eastbound lanes of Interstate 10 to Loop 1604 around 3 a.m., when he lost control and hit a barrier before the entire big rig fell over the rail.
"The tractor and the trailer started to slide on top of that attenuator to the point to where it came to a stop and flipped over the guardrail and into the creek bed," said Officer Doug Greene of the San Antonio Police Department. "Once it hit the creek bed, that's when it burst into flames."
Police believe the driver died instantly. The body was burned beyond recognition.
Traffic investigators spent more than three hours piecing together how the crash happened, but police said it was still unclear what caused the driver, who was transporting milk, to lose control.
"We're not sure if the driver fell asleep, if there was any intoxicants involved or if he just made a late turn to try and make his exit," Greene said.
The Texas Department of Transportation said the eastbound frontage road re-opened around 3:45 p.m.