Basic Facts
Crash date: March 12, 2026
Crash location: State Highway Loop 49 west of Tyler, TX
People involved:
- Tina Loper, 63
- Other unidentified drivers
Do authorities suspect alcohol played a role in this crash? Unknown
Did authorities recommend criminal charges? Unknown
Do authorities suspect a product defect caused the crash? Unknown
Accident Report
Smith County, TX — March 12, 2026, one person was killed and three others were injured in a truck accident at about 1:45 p.m. on State Highway Loop 49.
Authorities said a semi-truck reportedly was speeding when it crashed into a Subaru SUV that was stopping for construction traffic near mile marker 19 of Toll 49. The crash, which forced the Subaru into two other vehicles, shut down traffic in both directions between State Highway 31 and State Highway 155 west of Tyler.
Subaru driver Tina Loper, 63, of Flint died in the crash, according to authorities, while three other people were hospitalized with unspecified injuries.
Authorities have not released any additional information about the Smith County crash at this time. The accident is still under investigation.
How Did This Accident Occur?
Authorities have not released much information about this crash in Smith County yet, but that only underscores the need for a thorough investigation.
Those affected by this crash will know what happened on this stretch of Toll 49 when authorities complete their review of witness statements, evidence from the scene and data from the vehicles involved. Modern vehicles are full of information, and the semi-truck may have dashcams that can give investigators a first-hand of view of what the driver saw, and possibly even what the driver did while behind the wheel.
Maybe the truck crashed into the other vehicles because the driver was distracted, possibly by a cell phone. Maybe one of the other vehicles initiated the collision that started a chain reaction. Or maybe something different entirely happened.
The point is we don’t know until we have enough facts to replace the kind of assumptions that come naturally after a crash.
Do you know what happened here? Let us know in the comments.
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