Texas Accident & Injury News
18-wheelers are more likely than passenger vehicles to catch fire in an accident.
18-wheeler Explodes Into Flames, Killing the Driver After an Accident on Loop 410
According to a KSAT News report, a truck driver was killed in a single-vehicle 18-wheeler accident early Tuesday morning.
Police reported the accident happened at around 4 a.m. Tuesday, April 29th, on the eastbound lanes of Loop 410 between the I-35 interchange and Starcrest Drive. Witnesses say the 18-wheeler suddenly lost control, swerving off the road. It hit multiple highway signs and a concrete barrier before rolling onto its side, skidding across the highway, and bursting into flames. Police found the driver, who was later identified as 36-year-old Jose Natividad Olmedo, strapped inside the burnt-out rig. No other vehicles were involved in the crash. It is not clear what caused the driver to lose control. The investigation is ongoing.
Did You Know?
So far in Texas in 2025, there have been 120 reported fatalities from crashes involving a large truck.
Why Do 18-wheelers Catch Fire More Often than Cars?
Vehicle fires are comparatively rare—they accounted for only 16% of reportable fire incidents between 2018 and 2022.
But while vehicle fires may be rare, they’re often deadly. They caused 5.5 times as many deaths as non-residential structure fires, and 1.6 times as many deaths as apartment fires in the same time period.
Cars and large trucks alike are designed in such a way as to prevent vehicle fires, even in the event of an accident. But, despite this, vehicles can still catch fire, and large trucks are more prone to it than passenger vehicles.
What Counts as a Large Truck?
According to the NFPA (the National Fire Protection Association), large trucks include most large vehicle types that are not buses, such as:
- General-use trucks,
- Dump trucks,
- Semi-trailers (with or without tractors),
- Garbage trucks,
- And tank trucks.
Large trucks account for 8% of all highway vehicle fires in the U.S.
What Causes Fires in Large Trucks?
Fires in large trucks most frequently happen on highways/divided highways (47%), with the next frequent location being vehicle parking areas (11%).
Factors that contributed to fires in large trucks include:
- Mechanical Failure — 44%
- Electrical Failure or Malfunction — 7%
- Product or Material Misuse — 7%
- Operational Definciency — 7%
- Fire Spread or Control — 3%
- Unclassified — 3%
The part of a truck that ignited first, regardless of cause, was:
- Tire — 37%
- Electrical Wire or Cable — 13%
- Unclassified — 11%
- Flammable Liquid or Gas in/from Engine — 7%
- Multiple First Items — 5%
- Vehicle Seat or Other Upholstered Furniture — 1%
- Uncontained Flammable Liquid/Gas — 1%
The most common areas of the truck where the fire started were the engine, running gear, and wheel areas (53%), followed by the cargo or trunk area (14%).
Why Large Trucks Are More Prone to Vehicle Fires
Large trucks, especially semi-trucks, are far heavier than passenger vehicles. They can have two fuel tanks, with a fully-fueled semi carrying between 100 and 200 gallons of diesel.
They are also prone to defects and malfunctions. Fuel tanks can be positioned in a way that makes them prone to being punctured in an accident. Fuel lines can leak, especially in an accident. Large trucks are so heavily used that they should receive regular maintenance, but this doesn’t always happen. Or they can be designed defectively from the start, increasing the risk regardless of other factors.
Because a majority of large truck fires happen on highways, there could be a connection between high speeds and vehicle fires. This would make sense, as large trucks are more likely to roll over in the event of a high-speed collision, and that increases the risk of fuel leaks.
Injured in an 18-wheeler Accident in Texas? Call Shaw!
Burn injuries are some of the most painful and difficult injuries to heal from, and they can have devastating impacts on the victim’s life.
If you were injured in an 18-wheeler accident that wasn’t your fault anywhere in Texas, you could be entitled to compensation for things like:
- Ambulance Costs,
- ER Treatment,
- Surgeries,
- Medical Bills,
- Pain and Suffering,
- Disfigurement,
- Trauma/PTSD,
- Missed Work,
- Loss of Earning Capacity,
- And More.
We’ll help you find out if you have a case for free.
Call Shaw at 800-862-1260 today to schedule your free case evaluation with an experienced 18-wheeler accident attorney. There are no fees and no obligations attached, just the expert legal advice you need. Carabin Shaw has been a trusted name in San Antonio and across Texas for over 32 years because we put our clients first.