HOUSTON – An 18-wheeler went off a freeway ramp and crashed on the ground on Tuesday morning.
Houston police said the crash happened as the driver was on the Gulf Freeway northbound ramp traveling to the South Loop eastbound about 10:45 a.m.
"Traveling a bit too fast, lost control and tumbled over the side," Senior Officer Francis DeVita said.
The truck broke into several pieces when it crashed. It was hauling plywood, which was scattered on the road.
"This is one of the worst accidents I've seen," DeVita said.
Officials said the driver suffered minor injuries and will recover.
"He was wearing a seat belt," DeVita said. "The only injury we saw was a scraped elbow."
The truck weighed more than 36 tons and fell about 20 feet, police said.
"Thankfully, there was nobody else coming down the street," DeVita said.
No other vehicles were involved in the wreck.
The driver will be cited for failure to control speed, police said.
The company the driver works for has agreed to pay for the cleanup and any damage to the road.
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