Crews from several Kaufman County communities responded after a tractor-trailer left the highway, overturned and burned in a creek bed.
KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas — Emergency crews worked through the night Monday after a fiery collision killed three people and a dog and forced the closure of eastbound U.S. Highway 80 for about seven and a half hours.
The response began at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday between Forney and Terrell, near the Terrell exit. Authorities said an 18-wheeler struck a passenger car that had stalled in the highway’s right lane before running off the road and overturning in a dry creek bed.
Kaufman County sheriff’s deputies said crews had first been dispatched to a report of a disabled vehicle. The nature of the call changed quickly when additional reports indicated that a collision and fire had occurred.
The tractor-trailer caught fire after leaving the highway. Its driver was able to crawl out of the rig and escaped without injury, authorities said. Officials did not provide further information about the driver or the truck’s cargo.
Firefighters found a man and a woman dead inside the heavily damaged passenger car. As responders cut open the vehicle, they discovered a child and a dog in the back seat. Both also had died.
The names and ages of the three people had not been released Monday. Authorities also had not disclosed their relationships or said where they lived. No other injuries were reported in the information released from the scene.
Deputies and emergency personnel from Forney and Terrell assisted with the response. Investigators remained at the site while heavy-duty towing crews prepared to recover the overturned commercial truck and clear debris from the roadway and creek bed.
The main eastbound lanes reopened Monday morning after the extended closure. The adjacent service road remained closed while recovery work continued, authorities said.
Investigators had not announced what caused the passenger car to stall, why the truck struck it or whether any charges or citations were being considered. The Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office said the crash remained under investigation.
Author note: Last updated July 27, 2026.