18-wheeler driver admits to using phone before fatal crash on Highway 99, HSCO says

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A truck driver has died after a collision with an 18-wheeler whose driver admitted to being distracted by his phone, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

The crash, which happened at about 12:10 p.m. on Saturday in the 18800 block of State Highway 99, involved four people including the 18-wheeler driver, pickup driver and his passenger, and a forklift driver.

Authorities said the 18-wheeler hit the rear of a Ford F-350, which then struck the back of a forklift.

The sheriff's office said the forklift driver and passenger of the Ford F-350 were taken to a local hospital and sustained minor injuries.

Deputies say the driver of the Ford F-350 succumbed to his injuries from the crash.

According to officials, the driver of the 18-wheeler admitted that he had been reading texts on his phone shortly before the collision.