ORANGE COUNTY — A man fell to his death from the Neches River Bridge trying to avoid being struck following a multiple vehicle wreck early Saturday morning in Orange County.

The incident began around 5:20 a.m. Dec. 5 when a passenger vehicle was stalled in the outside westbound lane of Interstate 10 on the Neches River Bridge, according to a press release from the Texas Department of Public Safety. A work van was traveling in the outside westbound traffic lane on I-10 and slowed down to avoid colliding with the disabled vehicle. As the work van slowed down, it was struck from behind by a Chevrolet pickup truck.

Immediately after the crash, the drivers and passenger of the work van and pickup truck got out of their vehicles fearing that they would be struck by secondary collision.  All three men climbed over the construction railing; however, the driver of the work van fell about 50 feet and died.
Troopers continue to work the traffic collision. Since the death was not a direct result of the crash, Orange County officials will be conducting that part of the investigation.
No further information is available at this time.