DPS Troopers received reports of the crash around 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
BEAUMONT, Texas – Two Friendswood men were killed in a crane accident in which the boom of a crane fell on the pickup truck they were in while it was traveling on Interstate 10 west of Beaumont Thursday afternoon.
The driver of a Toyota pickup truck heading west, Sarfaraz Karowadia, 37, and his passenger, Altaf Kasowadia, 42, both from Friendswood, were killed when the boom landed on the truck, according to a Texas Department of Public Safety press release.
DPS initially reported that a heavy device detached itself from a commercial vehicle and caused the crash, but further investigation shows that something else happened.
An update to the preliminary investigation shows that a 2013 Toyota pickup truck was traveling west on I-10 near Smith Road around 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
Crane falls on IH-10, killing two
Construction crews in the area worked and operated a heavy crane, according to DPS. Soldiers believe the crane had some sort of “malfunction” and hit the Toyota pickup.
RELATED: Contractor Involved in a Fatal Malfunction of the I-10 Crane Responds to 12News Investigates
Because of the accident, the traffic stood still for hours.
A DPS spokesman described the accident as “tragic” and said the investigation could take several weeks.
DPS is in charge of the investigation, but since these are deaths, OSHA and federal officials are also involved. Your team was there tonight.
TxDot is also investigating as it is a contractor it hired for the I-10 expansion project.
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This is a developing story. We will update with more information as we receive more confirmed information.
First DPS press release …
At around 4:30 p.m., the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) soldiers received a report of a multiple vehicle accident on Interstate 10 near Smith Road in Jefferson County.
Initial reports suggest that there was an accident and heavy equipment was detached from a commercial vehicle. There have been reports of injuries; however, the extent of these injuries is currently unknown.
All lanes west of I-10 near Smith Road are closed. The lane remains closed until the accident investigation is completed. There is no time estimate of when the road will be opened to traffic again. Drivers are encouraged to find an alternative route. Expect delays.
This is an active accident investigation and additional information will be released as details are confirmed.
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