LYTLE, Texas – A big rig driver is hospitalized after a vehicle fire in Lytle backed up traffic for hours on I-35, according to the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office.
An 18-wheeler carrying coal had a blowout and flipped over the highway on I-35 NB around 2 a.m. Friday near Mile Marker 131, the sheriff’s office said.
The vehicle caught on fire, and the driver was extracted, according to officials.
The driver was stable when taken out of the vehicle and hospitalized in San Antonio. His current condition is unknown, ACSO said.
Facebook users commented they had been stuck in traffic for hours.
One person said they had been stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic since 2:25 a.m.
Lytle’s mayor advised drivers to seek alternate routes, like exiting off 131 and using the Highway 132 on-ramp if going north on I-35.
Crews are working to remove the remaining pieces of the burned truck.
As of 11:35 a.m., a DPS spokesperson told KSAT the highway was still closed.
Team Lytle and surrounding communities, we have northbound I-35 shut down due to a vehicle fire. Please use alternate routes (use exit 131, then use Highway 132 on-ramp) if traveling northbound.
Posted by Ruben Gonzalez Mayor City of Lytle TX on Friday, May 16, 2025
