A collision involving three semi-trucks shut down I-45 near Madisonville, Texas, on Thursday, April 3. The crash involved two semi-trucks carrying steel and one loaded with rebar.
The details: The incident began around noon when a southbound semi lost control, hit an exit sign, and scattered steel I-beams across the road.
- A second truck, unable to avoid the debris, also lost control, veering into a pickup in the northbound lanes.
- A third truck then crashed in the area, adding to the chaos.
The driver of the first semi-truck sustained head and arm injuries and was taken to the hospital. The pickup driver was airlifted with serious injuries, reported KHOU 11.
Impact: I-45 was closed in both directions for about eight hours, causing significant delays for drivers.
- Northbound traffic was advised to exit at FM 1969, take Highway 75, and then Spur 104.
- Southbound vehicles were routed to exit at Highway 21, west to Highway 75, and FM 1696.
By 8:30 p.m., traffic returned to normal after hours of cleanup. The quick response kept more drivers from harm's way.