Man from Texas Coast Dies on Highway 84 After Running Through Road Sign

SNYDER, TX – A Port Arthur man died on Sunday morning after hitting a road sign on Highway 84.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, on Aug. 20, 2023, at around 5 a.m., DPS troopers were dispatched to US Highway 84, just 0.08 miles north of Snyder, for the report of a major crash.

Once on the scene, troopers discovered a 2018 Dodge Charger that was engulfed in flames. Scurry County firefighters were able to put the fire out, but unfortunately, the driver of the vehicle died at the scene.

Justice of the Peace Joe Lay pronounced Johnny Rey Hernandez, 24, of Port Arthur, deceased at the scene at 6:07 a.m.

The troopers' investigation revealed that the Charger was traveling north on US 84. Hernandez failed to maneuver a curve in the roadway, leaving the road toward the north, striking a road sign and overturning. The Charger then rolled across FM 1673 through a fence line and caught on fire.

It is unknown if Hernandez was wearing a seatbelt. At the time of the crash, the road was dry and the weather was clear.