Two Dead in Fiery Crash of Oilfield Trucks and Equipment Near Midland

A Cisco man and a Midland man were killed in a fiery crash Friday morning on SH 349 south of Midland.

DPS released the names of the deceased. They are James Wesley Humphreys, 36 of Cisco and Jesus Vela, 36, of Midland. The crash involved 10 vehicles.

Eight of the vehicles were semis towing large equipment, two were pickups:

• A 2015 WesternStar was towing a 2014 Orteq (Northbound)
• A 2013 Kenworth was towing a 2013 Gallegos.  (Northbound)
• A 2015 WesternStar was also towing a 2014 Orteq (Northbound)
• A 2005 Peterbilt was towing a 1999 TransCraft (Southbound)
• A 2010 Dodge Ram pickup (Northbound)
• A 2000 Ford pickup (Northbound)

A 2010 Dodge Ram 2500, the 2015 WesternStar/2014 Orteq, the 2013 Kenworth towing the 2013 Gallegos, and a 2000 Ford pickup were traveling north on SH 349 near mile marker 343, but were stopped at a red light for a construction zone. The second 2015 WesternStar towing an Orteq, also northbound, was traveling too fast for the conditions, failed to control speed, and collided into the back of the 2000 Ford pickup and the other WesterStar towing an Orteq.

The collision caused the Orteq to separate from the WesternStar and both vehicles veered into oncoming traffic, striking the Peterbilt towing the Transcraft. 

The Kenworth was moved by the Gallegos it was towing, which collided into the first WesterStar/Orteq, causing the two vehicles to also separate. The separating Orteq collided with the Dodge Ram 2500.
The WesternStar/Orteq that failed to control speed burst into flames. The Ford pickup it hit also burst into flames, causing the fiery inferno of the three vehicles.

The driver of the WesterStar/Orteq was pronounced dead. He was Humphries from Cisco. The Ford pickup was driven by Vela, and was also pronounced dead at the scene. All other drivers in the crash were injured. Two were treated and released at the scene. The remaining four were sent to a Midland hospital with unspecified injuries.

The investigator was DPS Trooper Josue De La Cerda of the Midland office. The crash happened just after 10 a.m. Friday.

The picture above is courtesy of NewsWest9 in Midland. Watch their site for updates on crashes in the Midland/Odessa area.