HUNGERFORD — Two East Bernard residents were killed Tuesday afternoon after the vehicle they were traveling in collided with a semi-truck on Highway 60 north of Hungerford, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The crash occurred at approximately 4:23 p.m. on Tuesday. Preliminary information from DPS indicates a 2021 Kia passenger car was traveling northbound on Highway 60 when the driver left the roadway onto the right shoulder. Investigators say the driver then overcorrected, causing the vehicle to enter a side skid before crossing into the southbound lane, where it was struck on the driver’s side by a southbound 2026 International tractor-trailer hauling an oversized load.

The driver of the Kia, Davy Cumpian Diaz, 50, of East Bernard, was ejected from the vehicle. DPS said it has not yet been determined whether he was wearing a seat belt.

The passenger, Dusty Nicole Rodriguez, 42, of East Bernard, was wearing a seat belt but died at the scene. Wharton County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 Glenn Russell ordered both victims transported to the Fort Bend County Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy.

The driver of the semi-truck, Lester Urquiza Gonzalez, 39, of Cleveland, was taken to Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital for treatment. His condition was not immediately available. A passenger in the truck, Yenifer Rodriguez, 36, of Cleveland, was not injured.

Highway 60 remained closed for about six hours as emergency crews from the East Bernard and Hungerford Volunteer Fire Departments, along with DPS troopers, worked the scene and conducted the crash investigation.

DPS said the investigation remains ongoing.

Source: Texas Department of Public Safety