Man Dancing on 18-Wheeler Killed After Hitting Bridge

Last Thursday morning, a man in Houston decided to dance atop a moving 18-wheeler on the Eastex Freeway. Per ABC13, the man was knocked off the truck as it passed under the Tuam Street bridge. Paramedics responded quickly and rushed him to the Memorial Hermann Hospital, but he was later pronounced dead, according to a press release from the Houston PD. The man was 25 years old and may have been recording himself, but no other information about his identity or motive was provided, including how or where he managed to climb or jump onto the truck.

Per Houston Public Media, police spokeswoman Jodi Silva said the truck driver had no idea the man was up there. The driver was questioned by police and released without charges, but the investigation is ongoing. "We haven’t had a case like this in quite some time," Silva said. Witness video posted to a Facebook page and later picked up by news outlets shows the man dancing atop the cargo trailer of a Rapid Transport truck as it approaches an underpass. The video was shot from a vehicle behind the truck, and traffic appears to be moving slowly. The dancing man can be seen with his back to the bridge, apparently unaware of the impending danger. According to KHOU, he was knocked into oncoming traffic. He died of blunt force injuries, according to the Harris County coroner. (More accidental death stories.)