SARITA — State troopers are investigating a fiery crash that killed two drivers and injured another man.
The driver of a tractor-trailer rig was traveling southbound on U.S. 77 near the Kenedy and Willacy County line at about 10:20 p.m. Tuesday when the truck veered off the highway, striking a Chevrolet Tahoe parked off the roadway after running out of gas, Sgt. Nathan Brandley said Thursday.
The impact sent the tractor-trailer rolling off the road before catching fire, pushing the Tahoe off the highway while ejecting its driver, officials said.
Fernando Benavidez, Jr., 48, of West Chester, Pennsylvania, the Tahoe’s driver, was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. Benavidez was born and raised in Brownsville.
Meanwhile, Fernando Benavidez Sr., 67, of Brownsville, was taken to Spohn Shoreline Hospital in Corpus Christi for treatment of what Brandley described as “non-life-threatening injuries.”
Investigators are trying to determine the identity of the tractor-trailer’s driver, who was pronounced dead at scene after being trapped in the flaming truck.
