Juan Hernandez Paez Sr., 60, died on Monday, November 9, after his vehicle plunged off the High Five interchange in Dallas during a two-vehicle collision.
Dallas Police responded to the major accident at approximately 4 p.m. at the intersection of US 75 and Midpark Road, FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth reported. A preliminary investigation determined that a two-vehicle crash occurred before the victim’s car went over the side of the elevated roadway.
The Dallas County Medical Examiner identified the driver who died at the scene. SKY 4 captured images of the vehicle resting in a ditch near the interchange, and first responders closed the ramp from LBJ Freeway to northbound U.S. 75 for a period of time.
Video footage obtained shows the vehicle falling off the side of US 75 near Midpark Road. A pickup truck and a sedan pulled over following the impact, and three individuals looked over the barrier at the scene below.
High Five Interchange Barriers
Barriers along US 75 are engineered to handle vehicles traveling at the posted speed limit, according to Dr. Nur Yazdani, a civil engineering professor at the University of Texas at Arlington. In this incident, the vehicle cleared the barricade entirely.
Yazdani said that constructing taller or more rigid barriers is technically feasible but costs much more. Safety engineering involves balancing impact protection against economic feasibility.
As Yazdani explained to FOX 4’s Lori Brown, building exceptionally sturdy structures capable of absorbing all types of crashes involves a substantial financial commitment.
Yazdani further said that constructing structures to withstand lower-velocity weather events like hurricanes is far more economically practical than building them to endure a tornado.
Ongoing Dallas Police Investigation
The surviving driver involved in the collision remained at the scene to speak with law enforcement. No arrests have been made in connection with the fatal accident.
The Dallas Police Department said that their investigation into the crash remains active. Authorities have not yet released details regarding the specific sequence of events that led to the vehicles colliding.
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