Identities Released in Fatal I-20 Wrecks

GREGG COUNTY — A series of wrecks on Interstate 20 on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning resulted in two deaths, officials with the Texas Department of Public Safety said. According to the Longview News-Journal, Joel Bird and Constance McCumbee of North Carolina died during a wreck that happened about 2:30 a.m. Friday just west of the Scottsville exit on I-20. Officials said a fire engulfed an 18-wheeler involved in a crash with a second tractor-trailer. DPS Trooper Matt Beatty said one tractor-trailer was traveling west when it rear-ended another tractor-trailer, causing the first semi to catch fire. Bird and McCumbee died at the scene.

Traffic was backed up for hours on I-20 in Harrison County. The wreck in Harrison County happened just hours after a seven-vehicle crash shut down eastbound lanes of I-20 in Gregg County for several hours Thursday. That crash happened near Texas 42 about 5 p.m. Weather was a factor in the wrecks.