Driver killed after truck hits historic building in Death Valley National Park
Share and Follow

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A truck driver died Tuesday when a tractor-trailer rig ran off the road and into a building in Death Valley National Park, officials said on Wednesday.

The single-vehicle crash scattered debris and left diesel fuel on CA-190 between Stovepipe Wells and Towne Pass, closing the main road through the park for about 22 hours. The road reopened Wednesday morning.

The wreckage of a tractor-trailer rig is shown after a crash that killed a driver on Tuesday at Death Valley National Park. (Photo: National Park Service)

The crash was likely caused by a brake malfunction, officials said.

CA-190 has long, steep grades on both sides of Towne Pass, and truck fires have been a problem recently. An electrical contractor truck burned after descending Towne Pass on April 9. Six commercial trucks and one fifth-wheel RV caught on fire below Towne Pass in 2024.

The truck collided with the historic stone Emigrant Ranger Station, built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It hit the building’s porch, destroying two stone columns, damaging the roof, and breaking windows, park officials said.

Damage to the Emigrant Ranger Station after a tractor-trailer crashed into the building on Tuesday in Death Valley National Park. The truck driver died in the crash. (Photo: National Park Service)

Stan Jones wrote the song “Ghost Riders in the Sky” while living in the building and working as a park ranger in 1947, officials said. The building hasn’t been used for several decades.

A hazmat team worked overnight to clean up the spill. The truck was carrying a load from a mine in the Searles Valley.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Late Queen's verdict on Meghan was 'uncharacteristically damning'

Late Queen’s criticism of Meghan was unusually harsh

The late Queen Elizabeth allegedly ‘saw through’ Meghan Markle, and claimed her…
World War III will start with Xi and Putin invasions, warns NATO chief

NATO Chief Warns of Potential Invasions by Xi and Putin Leading to World War III

NATO chief Mark Rutte has chillingly warned that World War III will…
Texas weather: Massive recovery efforts underway in Kerr County following catastrophic flooding in Central Texas

Recovery Efforts in Kerr County Following Catastrophic Flooding in Central Texas

KERR COUNTY, Texas — Rescuers scoured a devastated central Texas landscape of…
Search for 27 missing girls plows forward after flash flood kills at least 51 people in Texas

Efforts to find 27 missing girls continue following flash flood that claims minimum of 51 lives in Texas

KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — The grueling, desperate search for 27 missing girls…
Tropical Storm Chantal strengthens slightly as it nears landfall in South Carolina

Tropical Storm Chantal gets stronger as it approaches South Carolina for landfall

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Chantal grew in strength as it approached…
Ozempic changed my life, but my husband said the words all women fear

How Ozempic Improved My Life, But My Husband Uttered the Words Every Woman Dreads

Dear Jane, I’m in my early 30s, and after years of struggling…
Michael Kay claps back at 'fawning fanboy' Blue Jays broadcaster

Michael Kay responds to Blue Jays broadcaster who is described as a ‘fawning fanboy’

After being taunted with a broom, Michael Kay dropped a hammer. Kay,…
Why Greenland is more important to the US than ever

The Growing Significance of Greenland for the United States

On June 14th, United Airlines made Donald Trump’s 79th birthday memorable by…