Investigators said a truck driver died after his rig fell from a State Highway 130 overpass in Williamson County.
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — A 38-year-old man has been charged with driving while intoxicated with a child passenger after a crash that sent a semi-truck off a State Highway 130 overpass and killed the truck driver Monday, state officials said.
Rayford Washington was booked into the Williamson County Jail after the crash at Chandler Road and the SH 130 frontage road. The Texas Department of Public Safety said Washington was driving an Audi SUV with two children inside when it collided with an eastbound semi-truck towing a trailer. The truck driver, 59-year-old Eric Fields, was pronounced dead at the scene. The case remains under investigation, and the charge filed so far centers on the alleged DWI with children in the vehicle.
The crash happened about 12:51 p.m. Monday at the overpass near Round Rock, north of Austin. State troopers said the Audi was traveling west on Chandler Road and attempted to turn left onto the southbound SH 130 frontage road. The Audi collided with the semi-truck as the truck traveled east, according to the preliminary investigation. The impact sent the truck into a bridge barrier before it left the overpass and landed on the southbound main lanes of SH 130 below. Nearby resident Adam Puckett told CBS Austin the crash was hard to process. “That’s a tragedy. I can’t believe it,” Puckett said. “It was so close to home, and it was right on the overpass.”
Washington and two child passengers, ages 9 and 5, were taken to an area hospital to be evaluated for possible minor injuries, officials said. DPS said troopers, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office and Round Rock police responded to the scene. According to an arrest affidavit, a state trooper later interviewed Washington at Ascension Seton Williamson County Hospital. The trooper wrote that Washington’s breath smelled of alcohol and that his eyes appeared glassy and watery. Washington told the trooper he had a green light and did not see the semi-truck before impact, according to the affidavit. Investigators said an empty 50-milliliter bottle of Jim Beam Honey whiskey was found on the driver’s side floorboard. Washington said someone else had consumed it the night before, the affidavit said.
The affidavit said Washington first denied drinking earlier in the day but told the trooper he had consumed alcohol the previous night, describing it as one beer. Washington agreed to a preliminary breath test, which showed a result of 0.105, above the Texas legal limit of 0.08, according to the affidavit. Detectives also reviewed video from the 18-wheeler, the affidavit said. Investigators said the video showed the Audi failed to yield the right of way. DPS has not announced whether additional charges will be filed in Fields’ death. Officials also have not released a full reconstruction report or said whether speed, traffic signal timing or roadway design are part of the continuing review.
The crash shut down southbound lanes of SH 130 at Chandler Road for hours and caused major delays through the area. SH 130 is a major Central Texas toll route used by commuters, freight traffic and drivers moving around the Austin metro area. The overpass where the crash happened carries traffic across a fast-moving highway corridor in a part of Williamson County that has seen rapid growth. Some people near the scene told CBS Austin they had noticed more traffic and more crashes in the area over the years. CBS Austin reported that state crash data showed about three fatal crashes on SH 130 in Williamson County in 2025. Officials did not say whether any of those earlier crashes were linked to the same intersection.
Washington faces one count of driving while intoxicated with a child under 15, a state jail felony. Online jail records cited by local reports showed he was being held on a $50,000 bond. The charge does not require that a child be injured. It applies when a person accused of driving while intoxicated has a passenger younger than 15 in the vehicle. The next steps in the case are expected to include review by prosecutors, possible court settings and any additional findings from the DPS crash investigation. Troopers have said the investigation remains active and ongoing. The agency has not released a final crash report or a full list of evidence reviewed by investigators.
The wreck left people who passed the scene shaken. Gabriel Garcia, who was driving near the crash site, told CBS Austin, “It’s crazy. I’ve never seen that before.” Puckett said traffic was backed up badly before he learned what had happened. “It was so backed up. It was ridiculous,” he said. He became emotional while speaking about those involved and said he felt sorry for the families. Photos from the scene showed emergency vehicles on and below the overpass as crews worked around the fallen truck. Authorities have not released details about funeral arrangements for Fields or said whether anyone in the Audi remained hospitalized after the initial evaluations.
The case stood Friday with Washington jailed on the DWI with child passenger charge and DPS continuing its fatal crash investigation. The next public milestone is expected when prosecutors or court records show whether additional charges or hearings are scheduled.
Author note: Last updated July 4, 2026.