A fuel tanker crashed into a pickup truck and a car on Highway 64 near Van, Texas, early Monday morning, September 14, 2026. The tanker rolled onto its side, leaked diesel from several compartments, and struck an oncoming car before coming to rest partly in the eastbound lane and partly in a ditch. Three people were hurt, one seriously.
This page collects what has been reported publicly, what records typically matter after a multi-vehicle tanker crash, and where families and witnesses can request those records themselves.
Confirmed facts about the Highway 64 tanker crash near Van
- When: Early Monday morning, September 14, 2026.
- Where: Highway 64, about a quarter mile west of FM 314, near Van, Van Zandt County.
- Vehicles: A semi-truck hauling a diesel fuel tanker carrying an estimated 7,000 gallons, a pickup truck, and a car traveling eastbound.
- What happened: The westbound tanker struck the pickup truck near the exit of a convenience store and rolled onto its side. It then struck the eastbound car before coming to rest partly in the eastbound lane and partly in a ditch.
- Injuries: Three people were hurt. One was airlifted to a hospital in serious condition. Two others were treated and released at the scene. One patient was initially trapped and freed by first responders and bystanders. Reporting did not say which vehicle each injured person was traveling in.
- Spill: The tanker began leaking fuel into the roadway and a ditch from multiple compartments of the trailer.
- Response: Crews used foam fire streams to control the hazard, and a hazmat team offloaded the remaining fuel before the tanker was uprighted. The Van Fire Department responded under a mutual aid request.
- Traffic: Highway 64 was closed in both directions for several hours during the response and cleanup.
- Investigation: The cause had not been released. No agency was named in reporting as leading the crash investigation.
- Not confirmed: Why the tanker struck the pickup, whether the pickup was leaving the convenience store, the identities of the drivers or the carrier, and whether hazmat routing or placarding rules applied to this load.
Sources: KLTV 7, September 14, 2026; CBS19, September 14, 2026.
Where did the Highway 64 tanker crash happen?
Highway 64 runs east and west through Van Zandt County, connecting the city of Van to Wills Point, Canton and the wider Interstate 20 corridor in East Texas. It is a state highway rather than an interstate, and it carries a mix of local, farm and highway traffic, including fuel delivery trucks serving the area.
A convenience store sits near the crash site. Vehicles pulling in and out of a driveway next to a state highway are a routine part of that kind of corridor, and it is a detail investigators typically look at when a crash starts near an entrance or exit.
Reported sequence at the scene
No agency has released a minute-by-minute account. The sequence below follows what was reported.
- Early Monday morningThe westbound tanker strikes a pickup truck near the exit of a convenience store on Highway 64.
- RolloverThe tanker overturns onto its side after the first impact.
- Second impactThe overturning tanker strikes a car traveling eastbound.
- Comes to restThe tanker ends up partly in the eastbound lane and partly in a roadside ditch.
- Fuel leak and rescueCrews find diesel leaking from multiple compartments. One trapped patient is freed by first responders and bystanders. Foam fire streams control the hazard while a hazmat team offloads the remaining fuel.
- Highway reopensHighway 64 reopens in both directions after several hours of response and cleanup. The cause has not been released.
What did authorities say happened?
Responding crews and reporting confirmed the location, the three vehicles involved, the injury count, the fuel leak, and the multi-hour closure. No agency has released a cause, and the investigation was described as ongoing.
What has not been said publicly is just as notable. Nothing in the reporting reviewed for this page identifies the tanker driver, the carrier, or which vehicle's occupants suffered which injuries.
What remains unanswered
- Why the westbound tanker struck the pickup near the store's exit, including whether the pickup was entering or leaving the highway.
- Which vehicle the seriously injured patient was traveling in, and the full extent of the other two people's injuries.
- The carrier's identity and DOT number, and whether hazmat routing or placarding rules applied to this run.
- Whether the tanker's brakes, tires or cargo tank had any open maintenance or inspection issues.
- How many hours the tanker driver had been on duty before the crash.
Hurt in a Multi-Vehicle Crash With a Fuel Truck?
You do not need to know yet which vehicle caused what, or whether the truck counts as commercial. If a tanker, delivery vehicle, or other fleet vehicle was part of a crash you were in, it may be worth having a lawyer review the facts.
Free Case EvaluationWhat records may matter after a multi-vehicle tanker crash?
A crash involving a loaded fuel tanker generates records that an ordinary car crash does not, because the vehicle and its cargo answer to federal hazardous materials rules on top of the usual trucking regulations. Most of these records move or age out quickly.
- Cargo tank inspection and testing records. Tanks like this one are subject to periodic testing and certification requirements under 49 CFR Part 180, Subpart E.
- Hazmat shipping papers and driver qualifications. Shipping papers under 49 CFR Part 172, and the driver's hazardous materials endorsement under 49 CFR 383.93.
- Electronic data. The tractor's engine control module, covering speed, braking and throttle at the moment of impact.
- Hours-of-service records. The electronic logging device and supporting documents under 49 CFR Part 395.
- Maintenance and inspection file. Required under 49 CFR Part 396, including driver vehicle inspection reports and brake and tire history.
- Post-accident testing, where the criteria in 49 CFR 382.303 are triggered.
- The federal hazmat incident report. A carrier involved in certain hazmat releases must give immediate notice under 49 CFR 171.15 and file a written report under 49 CFR 171.16.
- Store and roadway camera footage. Many convenience stores keep exterior camera footage for only a short time, and it can show the sequence at the driveway before the collision.
Why three vehicles change how a claim works
When more than one vehicle is involved, Texas law does not require picking a single at-fault driver before anyone can recover. Under Chapter 33 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, a jury assigns each responsible party its own percentage of fault, and an injured person can generally recover as long as their own share is 50 percent or less.
That matters here because three separate vehicles, and potentially three separate insurers, were involved in one chain of events. Nothing has been released about fault, and this page does not suggest that any driver was responsible. The point is that a multi-vehicle crash usually means more than one place to look, not fewer.
Practical steps for drivers, families and witnesses
- Photograph the scene before vehicles are towed, including the tanker's position, the store's driveway and exit, and any skid or debris marks.
- Write down or photograph the DOT number on the tractor and trailer if you can safely do so.
- Request the crash report through TxDOT's CRIS system once it is filed, and read the narrative rather than the diagram.
- Look up the carrier in the FMCSA's SAFER company snapshot for operating authority, fleet size and inspection history.
- Ask the convenience store whether it has surveillance footage of the driveway and how long the system retains it.
- Get a full medical workup, not only the emergency room visit, even if you were treated and released at the scene, and tell every provider it was a multi-vehicle highway crash.
- Protect your privacy. Decline recorded statements to any insurer until you understand which claims exist.
Frequently asked questions
Does this count as a commercial truck accident?
Yes. A semi-truck hauling a fuel tanker is a commercial motor vehicle, and it was also carrying a regulated hazardous material. That brings in federal trucking rules and separate federal hazardous materials rules that do not apply to an ordinary car crash.
Who can be held responsible when a tanker hits more than one vehicle?
It depends on facts that have not been released yet. Potential parties can include the tanker's driver and carrier, another driver involved in the chain of events, or, in some cases, whoever loaded or maintained the cargo tank. Texas Chapter 33 lets a jury divide responsibility among more than one party rather than requiring a single at-fault driver.
Does it matter that the truck was hauling fuel?
Yes. Cargo tanks used to haul fuel are subject to periodic testing and certification under 49 CFR Part 180, and the driver needs a hazardous materials endorsement under 49 CFR 383.93. A release above certain thresholds also triggers a federal incident report to PHMSA. Those records can show whether the tank and the paperwork behind it were in order.
I was in the pickup or the car, not the tanker. Do I still have a claim?
Being a bystander vehicle in someone else's crash does not remove your claim. Texas looks at each person's own share of fault, and a driver or passenger who did not cause the collision typically has none. Claims can reach the tanker's carrier, another driver's insurance, or both, depending on what the investigation shows.
What happens to the spilled fuel?
A hazmat team offloaded the remaining fuel and crews worked to contain what had already leaked before the tanker was uprighted. Cleanup and environmental response are handled separately from any injury claim, but the records they generate, including cleanup contractor reports, can help establish what happened and when.
How long do I have to file a claim in Texas?
Texas personal injury and wrongful death claims generally must be filed within two years under Civil Practice and Remedies Code 16.003. That is an outside limit, not a plan. Camera footage, cargo tank records and driver logs can disappear or age out long before that deadline arrives.
Talk to a Team Experienced in Commercial Truck and Tanker Crashes
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Sources
- KLTV 7, “One hospitalized after fuel tanker crashes in Van Zandt County,” September 14, 2026.
- CBS19, “Semi truck fuel tanker crash on Highway 64 leaves 1 in serious condition,” September 14, 2026.
- 49 CFR Part 180: qualification, maintenance and use of cargo tanks. Part 172: hazardous materials shipping papers.
- 49 CFR Part 395: hours of service. 49 CFR Part 396: inspection, repair and maintenance. 49 CFR 382.303: post-accident testing.
- 49 CFR 171.15 and 171.16: hazardous materials incident reporting. 49 CFR 383.93: hazardous materials CDL endorsement.
- Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 33 (proportionate responsibility) and Section 16.003 (limitations).
This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you have been involved in a truck accident, contact a qualified attorney for advice specific to your situation.
Facts on this page come from news reporting by KLTV 7 and CBS19. The cause had not been released and the investigation was developing when this was written. Nothing here states that any person or company was at fault. America’s Truck Accident Network is not involved in that investigation and does not represent any party to it.
