US 287 lanes closed in Fort Worth after fatal dumpster truck overpass crash

September 23, 2026 / 8:29 PM CDT / CBS Texas. [CBS DFW]

A waste management vehicle collided with a bridge support structure in Fort Worth on Wednesday evening, leaving one person dead and another fighting for life in a hospital.

The single-vehicle accident took place shortly after 6 p.m. on U.S. Highway 287 near Erath Street, according to the Fort Worth Police Department. Two occupants were traveling in the dumpster truck when the driver lost control of the vehicle, sending it careening off the roadway and directly into a concrete column supporting the Erath Street overpass above.

The force of impact was severe enough to fracture the support pillar and inflict substantial damage to the bridge structure itself. One of the vehicle's occupants was thrown from the cab during the crash and was pronounced dead at the location. Emergency responders transported the second occupant to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The collision triggered an immediate traffic emergency across a wide stretch of the corridor. Both directions of Highway 287 were diverted onto service roads in the vicinity, while the Erath Street overpass was shut down completely to vehicle traffic. Southbound motorists are being rerouted away from the highway at Berry Street, with northbound travelers forced to exit near Miller Avenue.

The structural damage to the bridge has created significant challenges for transportation officials. Engineers have indicated that inspecting and repairing the overpass will likely require multiple days or possibly weeks to complete, pending a thorough evaluation of the bridge's integrity. No timeline for reopening the roadway has been established.

Authorities have not disclosed the identities of either occupant, citing the need to notify family members before releasing names. The exact circumstances that caused the vehicle to veer from the highway remain under investigation by Fort Worth police. The agency urged drivers to continue using alternate routes and avoid the affected corridor until further notice.