US 59 at Chimney Rock major crash early Thursday

A major motor vehicle incident shut down the southbound US 59 exit ramp at Chimney Rock early Thursday morning, creating significant delays as crews worked to clear the roadway.

The crash happened at 4:54 AM at the exit 123 southbound US 59 ramp. Responding officers and emergency personnel worked to clear the scene and restore traffic flow. Visibility at the time was reduced to 3.0 miles under overcast skies.

This exit ramp sits on a particularly active stretch of highway. According to LocalTrafficAccidents.com data, the corridor has recorded 24 incidents over the past 30 days, with 14 classified as major. Over the past year, the area has seen 344 total incidents, including 169 major crashes and 4 fatalities, per LTA's real-time incident database.

The timing of this crash is notable: most crashes at this location fall outside the typical weekday commute peaks. The single busiest hour at this exit is 1 to 2 PM, when the corridor has recorded 17 crashes over the 90-day period. Fridays remain the highest-incident day, with 18 crashes in the past quarter.

According to state crash records from the Texas Department of Transportation, the broader corridor near this exit has experienced 1,346 crashes since January 2020. Contributing factors as recorded by investigating officers, per TxDOT CRIS, show "Failed To Control Speed" as the leading factor, cited in 545 crashes in the area.

The incident was cleared and traffic returned to normal flow. Motorists using the southbound US 59 exit to Chimney Rock should remain alert for lingering congestion as the morning commute develops.