Quick Facts:
Where: The accident occurred in the northbound lanes of Highway 87 near Burkeville, Texas.
What Happened: A piece of lumber allegedly fell from a flatbed truck and struck a vehicle in the oncoming lanes.
Participants:
- Julius Hippler, driver of car
- Driver of flatbed truck
Reported Injuries/Fatalities:
- Julius Hippler, 55, injured
Details:
On or about Wednesday, December 22nd, 2021, around 6:00 in the evening, an accident with unsecured lumber sent a 55-year-old man to the hospital with serious head injuries. Officials from the area said the accident was reported along Highway 87 just outside Burkeville, Texas.
Troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety said 55-year-old Julius Hippler was injured when a portion of lumber allegedly fell from the cargo of a flatbed truck and struck Hippler’s vehicle in the oncoming lanes. The flatbed truck did not stay at the scene of the incident. Paramedics airlifted Hippler to St Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont for treatment of serious head injuries stemming from the accident.
According to Google Maps, the scene of the accident is a short distance south of Burkeville, which is located roughly 154 miles northeast of downtown Houston.
Texas DPS and local officials are still looking for the flatbed truck.