Driver cited in wreck that closed U.S. 59
By BARRY HALVORSON bhalvorson@journal-spectator.com

L-N Photo by Kris Bagley Big Job Two tow trucks, not visible from this view, attempt to cinch up a tractor-trailer rig that overturned on U.S. 59 early Tuesday morning. The wreck kept the highway closed for about two hours and the driver was cited in the accident.

The driver of an 18-wheeler that overturned and closed down both north-bound lanes of U.S. 59 for two hours has been cited by the Wharton Police Department.

The driver has been identified as Jose Benavides Jr., 54, of Houston, according to the police department report. He was cited for failure to maintain a single marked lane by investigating officer Christina Rader.

In the report, Rader wrote she arrived at the scene and saw the 2004 Kenworth tractor and refrigerated trailer turned on its left side across both lanes of traffic and extending into the outside drainage ditch.

The driver said he either dropped something or fell asleep causing the tractor to veer off the highway into the ditch. The driver was unable to correct the path of the vehicle resulting in the rollover.

No injuries were reported and Benavides was the only person in the truck.

The wreck was called into the police department dispatch at 5 a.m. Tuesday and took place on U.S. 59 about a half mile from the FM 961 exit, according to the report.

The day of the wreck, the Texas Department of Transportation detoured traffic off the highway starting at around 7:30 a.m. to around 9:30 a.m.

At that point, the inside lane of traffic was opened at reduced speeds to allow a second truck to be driven to the scene and backed up to the original truck to allow a work crew to move the goods from the damaged trailer. Both lanes were opened to traffic around 3 p.m.