Driver of 18-wheeler pronounced dead, after crashing off Ship Channel Bridge onto building

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - An 18-wheeler crashed through the guardrail of the Ship Channel Bridge and landed upside-down on top of a building.

It was all because the driver tried to avoid a collision.

"We do have a witness that says a small vehicle cut him off. So we have the driver, and the witness, and the driver that apparently may have cut him off. We have him on the scene still. So he tried to avoid hitting another vehicle and I'm guessing he overshot and then fell down the freeway,"  said HPD Commander Patricia Cantu.

Houston police initially reported the driver was alive, but have since confirmed that he died in the crash.

He survived the initial crash and was alert and talking to rescuers, but then he died before they could get him out. The car driver and an eyewitness stayed after the crash to speak to investigators.

Environmental justice activist Yvette Arellano says she mourns for the driver, and fears for those in the neighborhood where the truck landed.

"We have been saying the 610 ship channel bridge is a dangerous piece of infrastructure that should be taken more seriously. The fact that these guardrails didn't hold back an 18 wheeler is a concern," she said.

She says this bridge is a major route for hazardous cargo. The truck landed in between two railroad spurs, narrowly missing some tanker cars and storage tanks in a tank farm.

She shudders to think about what might have happened if the truck had hit something worse than an empty shed, or had been carrying something more dangerous than just salsa.

"If we're going to have this happen in our back yards, we are going to have to make sure that this is safe and we need the city to make sure we are safe," she said.

Emergency crews are on the scene.

RELATED: TrafficMax 360 conditions

Multiple northbound main lanes of 610 South Loop are shut down. Drivers are asked to avoid the area and find alternate routes.

Schneider confirmed that one of their trucks was involved in the crash. Schneider released this statement to FOX 26:

A Schneider truck was involved in an accident on the Ship Channel bridge in Houston.  First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the driver who died as a result of his injuries. We are working with first responders on the scene and will fully cooperate with authorities to assist in the investigation of this unfortunate incident.