A late-night stop at an Interstate 20 rest area in Callahan County turned deadly when a 31-year-old Dallas man crashed into the back of a parked truck, setting his car on fire and killing him at the scene, authorities said.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the driver, identified as Samuel Angel Vargas, was behind the wheel of a 2007 Honda Civic traveling eastbound on I-20 near milepost 297 when the car left the main travel lanes and entered the rest area. The Civic then slammed into the rear of a legally parked commercial tractor-trailer. The impact sparked a fire and Vargas was ejected from the vehicle.
Troopers said Vargas was not wearing a seat belt and was pronounced dead at the scene. Two people who were asleep inside the parked commercial vehicle were not injured. The posted speed limit along that stretch of I-20 is 75 mph, according to a DPS news release cited by MyTexasDaily.
Troopers’ Account
The wreck occurred Friday at the eastbound rest area, and DPS investigators remained on scene while emergency crews extinguished the blaze, cleared debris and reopened the facility, according to the preliminary report…