BRUCEVILLE-EDDY (November 20, 2012)—Authorities Tuesday identified the man who died in a 13-vehicle chain reaction crash Monday on Interstate 35 near Bruceville-Eddy as Stephen Fu, 24, of Dallas.
Fu was stopped in traffic on the northbound interstate when an 18-wheeler crested a hill and ran over his Acura, crushing the car.
A firefighter was able to crawl under the trailer and determined that Fu was dead in the wreckage.
Ultimately a total of nine passenger vehicles and four 18-wheelers were involved in the chain reaction crash, which happened at around 12:30 p.m. Monday under the Old Blevins Road overpass.
Seventeen other people were injured.
One was taken to Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center and the others drove themselves to Scott & White Hospital in Temple, authorities said.
The accident shut down the northbound lanes of the highway until Monday evening.
Motorists who were stuck on the highway between mile marker 314 and 315 were backed up to 314 so they could exit and divert around the accident.
State troopers met Tuesday morning in Temple to assemble the information they gathered Monday at the accident scene.
Investigators will review the factors that led to the crash including the slight hill and blind spot and will check the brakes on the 18-wheeler that crushed Fu’s car.
