DALLAS — Two people were killed early Tuesday in a head-on collision on the southbound lanes of the Central Expressway (U.S. Highway 75) just north of Royal Lane in North Dallas, city officials said. Dallas Fire-Rescue crews arrived after multiple 911 calls reporting a wrong-way driver and found a sedan struck head-on with an SUV around 1:30 a.m., leaving one person dead at the scene and another to die later at a hospital.
Several motorists called 911 when they spotted a vehicle going north in the southbound lanes of US-75, creating chaos on the normally busy Central Expressway. First responders threaded through traffic and arrived to find the two-vehicle wreck, then worked to free at least one person trapped inside mangled metal. The scene shut down portions of the highway while crews stabilized victims and cleared debris.
Officials confirmed the wrong-way driver in the sedan died at the scene, while two people from the SUV were transported to hospitals for treatment. Hospital staff later pronounced the SUV passenger dead, and the SUV driver remains in critical condition. The identities of those involved have not been released as investigators notify next of kin and piece together what happened.
Dallas Fire-Rescue is the primary source for on-scene details, and investigators from local law enforcement are handling the crash investigation. At this point, authorities say they do not know why the driver entered the southbound lanes going the wrong way. Standard procedure in wrong-way collisions includes checks for impairment, vehicle condition, and whether any medical emergency caused the maneuver.
Traffic on Central Expressway was backed up for hours as tow crews removed the wreckage and crews documented the scene. Commuters in North Dallas faced lengthy delays during the morning, with ramps and lanes closed near Royal Lane while first responders and crash investigators worked. Those driving in the area were urged to avoid the stretch until lanes were fully reopened.
The crash has renewed questions about highway safety, lighting and signage in that corridor of US-75, which handles heavy commuter traffic heading in and out of downtown Dallas. Drivers and residents often point to the need for clearer protections against wrong-way entries, especially in overnight hours when the risk of high-speed, head-on collisions is greater. City officials typically consider a mix of engineering fixes and public-safety campaigns after deadly incidents like this one.
Photographic coverage of the aftermath included the caption “Fatal North Dallas Crash (Terry Van Sickle),” which circulated with early reports from the scene. Media and officials alike are withholding victim names until families are notified, a common and respectful step after fatal collisions. Investigators with Dallas Police and Dallas Fire-Rescue are collecting evidence, checking vehicle data, and interviewing witnesses who called 911.
For now, the focus remains on the victims, their families and restoring normal traffic flow on the Central Expressway. Dallas Fire-Rescue emphasized that information came from officials on site, and further updates will arrive as the investigation continues. Drivers should expect residual construction-style slowdowns while removal and cleanup continue on this stretch of US-75.
