Press release — At approximately 2:30pm, a Vidor police officer observed a large piece of debris in the eastbound right lane of Interstate 10 in Vidor, Texas.  The police officer turned on all emergency lights and got out of his patrol car to remove the debris from the roadway.  A truck tractor semi-trailer slowed down in the right lane to avoid striking the patrol vehicle.  A second 18-wheeler failed to control speed and struck the stopped truck tractor semi-trailer in the rear.  This impact pushed the stopped truck tractor semi-trailer into the Vidor police car.

Due to the impact between the two truck tractor semi-trailers, the gas tanks were punctured and diesel leaked onto the roadway.  HazMat crews are in route to remove the diesel fuel from the roadway.  At this time, all three eastbound lanes of Interstate 10 in Vidor, Texas are closed; however, the inside shoulder of Interstate 10 is open to allow traffic to flow.  It is estimated that the Interstate will remain closed for another two hours.  Motorists in the area of this crash should use extreme caution due to slow moving or stopped traffic.

There were no injuries sustained in this crash.

The driver of the truck tractor that struck the stopped 18-wheeler, Eric Holt, 28, of Louisiana, was cited for Failure to Control Speed.