Two individuals tragically lost their lives early Saturday morning in a rollover accident involving a tractor-trailer on U.S. Highway 287 in Wichita County. Authorities attribute the fatal incident to strong crosswinds and a slick roadway, which led the driver to veer off course and subsequently overcorrect, resulting in the truck rolling over near an overpass.
The accident occurred at approximately 12:29 a.m. near mile marker 326. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), a 2020 Peterbilt truck tractor hauling a 2021 Wilson semi-trailer was traveling southeast when it encountered hazardous wind conditions.
Investigators reported that the intense winds caused the driver to lose control, steering the vehicle off the right side of the road. In an attempt to regain control, the driver overcorrected to the left, which ultimately caused the truck to roll onto its passenger side. The vehicle collided with a guardrail before coming to a stop, entangled in the guardrail on the shoulder of the road, facing northeast.
The driver has been identified as 43-year-old Joshua Brad Sneed from Banks, Alabama, while the passenger was 31-year-old Ashley Ramirez De Los Santos Corona from Thomasville, Georgia. Sadly, both were pronounced dead at the scene, and officials noted that neither occupant was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
At the time of the incident, weather conditions were reported to be windy, and the roadway was wet. The speed limit in the area is set at 75 mph.
The Texas DPS continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.
