The victims included two adults and a child, while the tractor-trailer driver escaped the burning rig without injury.
KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas — A man, a woman and a child were killed late Sunday when an 18-wheeler struck their stalled car on U.S. Highway 80 between Forney and Terrell, authorities said.
The crash was reported at about 11:30 p.m. in the eastbound lanes near the Terrell exit. A dog inside the passenger vehicle also died. Authorities had not released the identities of the three people as of Monday morning.
Kaufman County sheriff’s deputies said emergency crews were first sent to the highway after receiving reports that a disabled vehicle was stopped in the right lane. Dispatchers soon received updated calls reporting that a crash and fire had occurred at the same location.
Investigators said the tractor-trailer struck the stalled car before leaving the roadway. The truck overturned in a dry creek bed below the highway and caught fire.
The driver of the 18-wheeler crawled out of the burning truck and was not injured, according to authorities. Officials did not release the driver’s name or say whether anyone else was inside the commercial vehicle.
Firefighters initially found a man and a woman dead inside the crushed passenger car. As crews cut into the wreckage, they found the child and dog in the back seat, authorities said.
Officials had not said why the car became disabled or how long it had been stopped before the collision. Authorities also had not announced whether the vehicle’s warning lights were operating or whether anyone had been able to leave the car before it was struck.
The main eastbound lanes were closed for about seven and a half hours while investigators examined the scene and crews removed wreckage. The lanes reopened Monday morning, although the nearby service road remained closed while heavy-duty wreckers worked to remove the overturned tractor-trailer and debris.
Deputies worked with emergency personnel from Forney and Terrell during the response. The crash remained under investigation Monday, and authorities had not announced a preliminary cause or released additional information about the victims.
Author note: Last updated July 27, 2026.