A garbage truck driver is dead after his vehicle veered off the road and slammed into the support pillars of a highway overpass in Fort Worth, Texas, Wednesday evening. Police say the truck was exiting U.S. Highway 287, also known as Martin Luther King Freeway, when it struck several pillars holding up the bridge over Erath Street, snapping one of the concrete supports. The driver was thrown from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene, while a passenger riding with him was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Authorities have not released either man's identity as they work to notify their families, and investigators still have not determined what caused the truck to leave the roadway.

The impact did serious damage to the overpass, forcing officials to shut down U.S. 287 completely in both directions while crews assess whether the structure is safe. Fort Worth police say the main highway lanes should reopen within seven to ten days once the bridge is cleared for structural integrity, though full repairs to the damaged Erath Street overpass itself are expected to stretch into October. In the meantime, southbound drivers are being rerouted off the highway at Berry Street and northbound traffic is being sent off near Wilbarger Street, adding delays to an already busy commuter corridor. The crash remains under investigation, and police are urging drivers to seek alternate routes until the area is confirmed safe to reopen.