Gonzales man killed in collision with tractor-trailer

A Gonzales man was killed Thursday, April 10, when his vehicle was struck by a tractor-trailer on US 183 about six miles south of Gonzales.

A Texas Department of Public Safety report stated that a 2006 red Kenworth truck, pulling a 2017 black Travis trailer, was being driven southbound in the 7500 block of US 183 by Jorge Cata of Katy at about 4:45 p.m. A 2010 gold Volkswagen, driven by Michael Lancaster of Gonzales, was pulling out of a private drive and turning left (northbound) onto US 183 and, according to the DPS report, failed to yield the right of way to the oncoming tractor-trailer.

The investigating trooper reported Cata told him he was unable to stop due to how suddenly the Lancaster vehicle pulled out. The tractor-trailer struck the Volkswagen in its front left side, causing major damage to both vehicles.

The force of the impact caused Cata’s tractor-trailer to continue on south, crossing into the northbound lane and into a pasture on the east side of the road, where it partially caught fire but was quickly extinguished, the report stated.

Lancaster’s Volkswagen spun clockwise and went into the ditch on the west side of the road before rolling on its left side and coming to rest upside down. Gonzales County Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Deidra Voigt was called to the scene and she pronounced Lancaster dead at 5 p.m. Thursday, according to the report.

There was no other information available on whether Cata was injured in the collision.