US-59 inbound crash at Rankin ramp during morning rain

A motor vehicle incident disrupted US-59 inbound near the Rankin entrance ramp Wednesday morning at 5:35 AM, creating delays as crews worked to clear the roadway in moderate rain.

The crash struck the freeway during the early morning hours when traffic is typically lighter, but responders faced wet conditions that complicated recovery efforts. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that wet pavement contributed to over 14,000 crashes across Texas in the most recent annual reporting period, and weather conditions at the time of this incident reflected that broader risk.

This location has seen sustained incident activity over the past three months. According to LTA data, the US-59 inbound corridor at Rankin has logged 39 total incidents in the past 90 days, with 24 of those classified as major. Over a 12-month span, the same stretch has recorded 59 incidents, 34 of them major.

Historically, this corridor doesn't follow typical commute-peak patterns. The timing data shows most crashes here fall outside weekday commute peaks, with the single busiest hour being 2–3 PM, when five crashes occurred over the tracking period. Thursdays have been the highest-incident day at this location over 90 days, with nine crashes recorded.

TxDOT CRIS public crash records from January 2020 to present show 441 crashes within about a quarter-mile of this corridor, with "Failed To Control Speed" as the most common officer-recorded contributing factor (187 crashes). The hit-and-run rate at the corridor stands at 10.0% according to state records.

Authorities cleared the incident, and the roadway returned to normal flow. Drivers heading inbound on US-59 during the early morning commute should monitor conditions as wet pavement may persist in the area.