HASKELL COUNTY, TX — A 51-year-old Albany man died Saturday morning after his pickup left U.S. Highway 380 in Haskell County, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Troopers said the crash happened around 7:20 a.m. Sept. 26 near milepost 424. Investigators identified the driver as James Cody Leech and said he was behind the wheel of a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD heading east.
DPS said Leech did not make it through a curve in the road. The truck left the pavement, crossed to the left side and began a skid before hitting several fixed objects.
DPS says truck went airborne before Leech was thrown from the windshield
According to the preliminary DPS report, the sequence of events turned severe after the Silverado struck those objects. Investigators said the vehicle became airborne, landed on its front end and then ejected Leech through the front windshield.
Officials also said Leech was not wearing a seat belt. No other injuries were mentioned in the DPS account.
That report places the crash in a remote stretch of highway where a single mistake can quickly become fatal. DPS has not released additional details about whether the curve, speed or any mechanical issue played a role beyond the driver failing to negotiate the turn.
Justice of the peace pronounced Leech dead at 8:50 a.m.
Justice of the Peace Doy Jeter pronounced Leech dead at the scene at 8:50 a.m., about an hour and a half after the crash was reported.
The timeline underscores how fast the wreck unfolded and how little chance there was for emergency crews to change the outcome once the pickup left the roadway.
DPS said the weather was clear and the road surface was dry at the time, removing two common hazards from the list of possible causes.
Clear weather and dry pavement leave investigators focused on the curve itself
With weather and pavement conditions described as normal, the investigation is centered on how the truck entered the curve and why the driver lost control. DPS said the crash remains under investigation.
The preliminary finding does not say whether distraction, fatigue, excessive speed or another factor contributed. For now, the agency’s account points to the driver’s inability to negotiate the bend as the critical moment.
That kind of single-vehicle crash can leave few immediate answers, especially when the vehicle leaves the road, strikes fixed objects and overturns or launches in the impact sequence.
Haskell County crash adds to a deadly stretch on rural West Texas roads
Leech’s death is one of several recent fatal crashes in the region, underscoring how dangerous rural highways can be even in good weather. The roadway, time of day and vehicle type all shape the outcome once a pickup departs the lane.
In this case, the truck was a heavy-duty model, but DPS said that did not prevent the vehicle from leaving the road and ejecting the driver. The seat-belt finding is especially important because investigators said Leech was not restrained when the windshield ejection occurred.
Those details make the wreck a stark reminder that ordinary highway curves can become deadly in seconds.
What DPS has and has not said so far about the fatal wreck
DPS has confirmed the basic facts: the driver, the vehicle, the time, the location and the fatal outcome. The agency also described the chain of events from the curve to the skid, the impact with fixed objects and the ejection of the driver.
What remains unclear is whether anything besides driver error contributed to the crash. Troopers have not announced any further findings, and the investigation is still open.
For now, the state’s preliminary report is the only detailed account available, and it places the focus squarely on a single-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 380 that ended with one man’s death.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
