Garbage Truck Driver Seriously Injured After Truck Hits Overpass Pillar on US 54 at Trowbridge Drive in El Paso

Published by Dunk Law Firm

Published:

Branded Dunk Law Firm news card about the garbage truck crash into an overpass pillar on US 54 at Trowbridge Drive in El Paso, Texas, on November 10, 2026, that seriously injured the driver, with facts from TxDOT, fire and police as reported, and the phone number 888-551-3865. The background is a code-drawn editorial illustration, not the actual crash scene: an empty daytime freeway with a generic overpass.

EL PASO, Texas — The driver of a garbage truck was seriously injured when the truck struck a pillar supporting an overpass on US 54 near the Spaghetti Bowl interchange on Tuesday morning, November 10, 2026, according to El Diario de El Paso and KFOX14.

El Diario reported that the crash happened around 10:52 a.m. Mountain time (11:52 a.m. Central) in the southbound lanes of the Patriot Freeway at the Trowbridge Drive overpass, according to TxDOT. The driver was taken by ambulance to a hospital with serious injuries, El Paso Fire Department spokesman Héctor González told the paper. KFOX14, citing officials, said a sanitation truck struck an overpass pillar around 11 a.m. and one person was hospitalized with serious injuries; its report placed the crash on the southbound US 54 frontage road at Trowbridge.

According to TxDOT, as reported by El Diario, only the truck was involved. The El Paso Police Department's Special Traffic Investigations Unit took over the investigation to determine the cause. We hope for the driver's full recovery.

Key Facts

  • Location: Southbound US 54 (Patriot Freeway) at the Trowbridge Drive overpass, near the Spaghetti Bowl, El Paso, Texas (TxDOT, per El Diario). KFOX14 reports the southbound frontage road at Trowbridge.
  • Date and time: Tuesday, November 10, 2026, around 10:52 a.m. Mountain / 11:52 a.m. Central (TxDOT, per El Diario); KFOX14 says around 11 a.m.
  • Vehicle: One garbage (sanitation) truck; El Diario reported it carried the El Paso Disposal logo. TxDOT said only the truck was involved.
  • Injuries: The driver was taken by ambulance to a hospital with serious injuries (El Paso Fire Department, per El Diario)
  • Investigating agency: El Paso Police Department Special Traffic Investigations Unit (per El Diario)
  • Traffic impact: Multiple lanes and ramps closed, including the connector to I-10 West and the Montana Avenue exit (TxDOT, per El Diario)

Sources checked as of November 11, 2026, 7:33 a.m. CST. This line is not the article's publication date.

Timeline of Official Statements and Reporting

  • Tue., Nov. 10, around 10:52 a.m. Mountain (11:52 a.m. Central): The garbage truck strikes an overpass pillar on southbound US 54 at Trowbridge Drive (TxDOT, per El Diario).
  • Tue. late morning: TxDOT El Paso reports lane closures and major backups (KFOX14).
  • Tue., Nov. 10, 11:20 a.m. Mountain (12:20 p.m. Central): KFOX14 publishes its report; it was updated at 2:12 p.m. Mountain (3:12 p.m. Central).
  • Tue. afternoon: El Diario publishes TxDOT, fire department and police details; it reports the closures were to stay in place until further notice.

What Makes This Crash Different

This was a single-vehicle crash involving a commercial truck, and the person hurt was the driver. That matters because the questions that usually come up after a work-truck crash are different from those after a crash between two passenger cars. Investigators may look at the truck itself — its brakes, steering, tires and maintenance history — as well as the driver's route and schedule, the roadway and anything else that may have played a role. Our guide Truck dashcam and GPS evidence after a crash explains how onboard cameras and GPS data can help reconstruct what happened.

The reports also differ on exactly where the truck was. TxDOT, as quoted by El Diario, placed the crash in the southbound freeway lanes at the Trowbridge Drive overpass, while KFOX14 described the southbound frontage road at Trowbridge. The police investigation and crash report should clarify the location. Nothing reported so far explains why the truck left its lane, and no official has assigned a cause.

Questions Investigators May Examine

  • What the truck's inspection and maintenance records show about its brakes, steering and tires.
  • Whether the truck had onboard cameras, GPS or an engine control module that recorded speed and braking before the impact.
  • Whether a mechanical problem, a medical issue, road conditions or another vehicle played any role; officials have said only the truck was involved.
  • Exactly where the truck was traveling, given the different descriptions of the freeway lanes and the frontage road.

These are investigative questions, not allegations that any driver, agency or company caused the crash.

What Remains Unknown

  • The driver's name, age and current condition beyond the serious injuries first reported.
  • What caused the truck to hit the pillar; police had not released circumstances when the sources were checked.
  • Who owns and operates the truck; El Diario reported only that it carried the El Paso Disposal logo, and we have not confirmed the operator, so no carrier safety record is shown here.
  • Whether the overpass was damaged and how long repairs or closures will last.
  • The exact location: the freeway lanes at the overpass (TxDOT, per El Diario) or the frontage road (KFOX14).

Evidence to Preserve

  • Request the crash report when it is available (see below) and keep the report or case number.
  • Find out where each vehicle is. Vehicles can be held as evidence. A person with legal authority can ask that a vehicle be preserved before it is repaired, salvaged or destroyed, while respecting any law-enforcement hold.
  • Ask about video early. Tell investigators or a lawyer about businesses, traffic cameras or doorbell cameras near US 54 at Trowbridge Drive. Recordings can be overwritten. Do not enter restricted property to get them.
  • Ask that the truck, its onboard camera footage and any GPS or engine data be preserved. Fleet video and telematics can be overwritten on a schedule.
  • Ask about TxDOT traffic cameras on US 54 near Trowbridge Drive; requests should be made quickly.
  • Keep original photos, texts and witness contact details without editing them.
  • Keep medical, work and insurance records, including hospital bills, pay stubs, policies and claim letters.

Our guide on evidence that can disappear after a vehicle collision explains why preservation can matter before an investigation ends. Avoid public accusations, and do not post private family documents.

How to get the crash report. Texas peace officer crash reports (CR-3) are sold through TxDOT's crash reports page and its CRIS purchase site. TxDOT lists $6 for a regular copy and $8 for a certified copy, plus a possible processing charge, and people outside the eligible categories receive a redacted copy. Officers generally have ten days to submit reports, which does not guarantee a report is available on day ten. Requests for scene photos, video or other investigation files go to the investigating agency (the El Paso Police Department), not TxDOT.

What Injured People and Families Should Know

This is general information about Texas law, not advice about anyone's claim, and it does not assume anyone is at fault.

What is the deadline? Civil Practice and Remedies Code §16.003(a) generally requires a suit for personal injury to be brought not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues, subject to listed exceptions. Nothing here is a calculated deadline for anyone; when the clock starts and whether an exception applies need individual review.

How does fault work? Under CPRC Chapter 33, a claimant found more than 50 percent responsible cannot recover damages, and a lower percentage reduces damages by that share. TxDOT has said only the truck was involved, but that alone does not decide why the crash happened. The sources we reviewed make no finding about the cause.

On-the-job injuries. The driver was reportedly operating a garbage truck at the time. Injuries that happen while someone is working can raise additional questions about benefits and insurance coverage. Those rules depend on the facts and are not covered in this article.

Medical bills and future care. Serious injuries can mean long hospital stays and care needs that are hard to predict at first. Our guides on Who pays medical bills while an injury claim is pending? and Documenting future care after a catastrophic injury explain which records to keep from the start.

A truck accident lawyer can explain these rules without assuming anyone is responsible. Before signing an insurance release or a statement, understand which claims it affects.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a single-vehicle crash mean the driver was at fault? No. A single-vehicle crash can have many causes, including mechanical failure, road conditions or the actions of others. Police are investigating, and no cause has been released.

Who is investigating? El Diario reported that the El Paso Police Department's Special Traffic Investigations Unit took over the investigation. Texas crash reports (CR-3) are later available through TxDOT.

Was anyone else hurt? The sources reviewed report one person hospitalized with serious injuries, the driver, and TxDOT said only the truck was involved.

How Dunk Law Firm Can Help

A case review can help identify which records to request, what evidence may need preserving, which insurance policies to look at and who may have authority to act. It cannot establish fault or promise compensation before the facts are known.

Dunk Law Firm handles wrongful death, catastrophic injury and commercial vehicle cases. Our Houston office serves families in El Paso and West Texas and throughout Texas, and the firm also serves clients statewide in Tennessee, Missouri and Wisconsin, with offices in Memphis, St. Louis and Milwaukee. Dunk Law Firm does not contact families after a crash; if you have questions, reach out when you are ready.

For a free case review, call (888) 551-3865 or visit Dunk Law Firm. Help is available 24/7, with no upfront attorney fees. Ask about the written fee agreement and case expenses.

You do not need to have every document ready to ask an initial question.

Sources

Sources checked November 11, 2026, 7:33 a.m. CST.

  1. El Diario de El Paso: Choca camión de basura contra pilar en la US54 — published Nov. 10, 2026 (Spanish); cites TxDOT, El Paso Fire Department and EPPD
  2. KFOX14: Trash truck hits bridge pillar on US 54 frontage at Trowbridge; 1 seriously injured — published Nov. 10, 2026, 11:20 a.m. Mountain; updated 2:12 p.m. Mountain; cites TxDOT El Paso and officials
  3. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Chapter 16 — §16.003(a), two-year personal injury limitations
  4. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Chapter 33 — proportionate responsibility
  5. TxDOT crash reports and records
  6. TxDOT CRIS crash report purchase

The images with this article are code-drawn editorial illustrations, not photographs of the actual scene.

Attorney advertising. General information, not legal advice. No outcome is guaranteed, and contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship. This report does not imply representation of anyone involved. Attorney review or approval is not claimed. Responsible attorney: Orville Dunk.