TULIA, TEXAS — A quiet drive turned into a jaw-dropping moment when two brothers witnessed an overpass collapse in real time — and captured the whole thing on video.
Leonel Vasquez and his brother were heading home from work in Amarillo on Wednesday afternoon, cruising along Interstate 27 near Tulia, when they spotted a massive tractor-trailer hauling a construction crane barreling toward the overpass. Moments later, concrete rained from the sky.
“I was just yelling, ‘He’s not gonna make it! He’s not gonna make it!’ And boom — it hit,” Vasquez told a local station. “I couldn’t believe it when the bridge started crumbling right in front of us.”
The footage Vasquez shot shows the terrifying instant the truck slams into the overpass, triggering a cascade of concrete and debris onto the highway below. A large chunk of the bridge structure gave way, collapsing partially and forcing traffic to a halt.
According to Sgt. Adrian Briseno of the Texas Department of Public Safety, the semi-truck was transporting a crane that exceeded the height clearance of the bridge. Authorities say the driver suffered only minor injuries and miraculously, no one else was hurt.
“This could’ve been a deadly pileup,” Briseno said. “The fact that no other cars were caught underneath when the bridge gave way is extremely fortunate.”
The overpass — located about 50 miles south of Amarillo — remains closed as engineers assess the structural damage and begin planning repairs. Transportation officials are investigating how the oversize load managed to get on the interstate without proper clearance.
Texas has seen a troubling rise in bridge strikes over the last decade, often involving construction equipment or improperly permitted loads. In 2023 alone, state officials reported more than 80 bridge incidents involving overheight vehicles.
“It’s unacceptable,” said highway safety advocate Manuel Reyes. “We’ve got to get serious about enforcing load permits and making sure routes are safe before trucks ever hit the road.”
Local drivers are already feeling the fallout. Detours are in place, and traffic along I-27 is being rerouted — causing major delays for morning commuters and freight traffic heading south.
The Texas Department of Public Safety has yet to issue a formal statement, but Vasquez says he hopes the video sparks change.
“People need to see how dangerous this can be,” he said. “It’s a miracle no one died.”
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What happens to the drivers or companies when they destroy a bridge? Do they have insurance covering the damage? Or do they just file for bankruptcy and startup again as a different company? Meanwhile citizens in Texas have the highest property taxes in the U.S. (while bragging about no income tax!)