A 74-year-old driver was killed and burned beyond recognition after crashing a tractor-trailer on Tuesday east of Edinburg, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The crash occurred on State Highway 186 east of U.S. 281 east of Linn at around 12:32 p.m. on Tuesday. 

Preliminary investigation revealed a 2026 Freightliner Truck Tractor occupied by one driver was traveling eastbound on SH 186 near Linn, according to DPS spokesperson Sgt. Maria Hernandez.

Hernandez said, for unknown reasons, the driver, identified as Alberto Montoya of Brownsville, veered off the roadway onto the northbound bar ditch and struck a pole and a tree. The trailer then became engulfed in flames.

"The driver was engulfed in flames and was burned beyond recognition," Hernandez said, adding that the crash remains under investigation.

In a news release, the Texas Department of Transportation announced that SH 186 was closed from US 281 to west of Brushline Road due to the crash. The highway reopened at around midnight Wednesday.