Two women from the Houston area died on Friday morning following an accident on Highway 59 about seven miles north of Livingston.

They have been identified as 60-year-old driver Brenda Kirkling and her 58-year-old passenger Linda Autry.

The crash involved a Jasper County truck and occurred shortly before 11 a.m. According to the police report, a red Mercedes Benz E-350 operated by Kirkling pulled out of a parking lot of a Chevron into the path of an 18-wheeler carrying lumber.  

The 2019 Kenworth truck was owned by High Roller Logistics in Center and driven by Jody Jenkins, a 44-year-old resident of Brookeland.

The impact of the crash caused the rig to slide and lumber began to spill into the roadway. 

Both vehicles skidded and eventually came to rest around 100 yards from the initial point of contact. 

Kirkling’s vehicle ended up on the side of Jenkins’ rig. Brenda Kirkling and Linda Autry were killed on impact.

Although the truck was heavily damaged, the driver did not suffer any injuries.

The Texas Department of Public Safety is continuing investigations into the crash.

Truck accidents are more likely to cause serious injuries and death than collisions involving regular passenger cars. That’s partly because big rigs can weigh up in excess of 30,000 pounds while a typical passenger car weighs just around 4,000 pounds.

In addition, truck drivers often escape serious injury because they ride in an elevated cab.

Driver fatigue, distracted driving, impairment, speeding and poor training can all contribute to truck crashes.

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