Truck driver dies after crashing into historic Death Valley building

A semi-truck driver was killed in Death Valley National Park after crashing into a historic building at Emigrant Junction, the National Park Service said in a news release.

The truck collided with the historic Emigrant Ranger Station after experiencing a brake malfunction around 2:12 p.m. on Tuesday on California state Route 190 between Stovepipe Wells and Towne Pass.

The road has “long, steep grades” that can lead to brakes overheating in heavy vehicles, according to the park service. In 2024, six commercial trucks and one fifth-wheel recreational vehicle caught on fire on Route 190 near Towne Pass.

The historic station struck was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps and had not been used in several decades, but is maintained for its history. The truck struck the building’s porch, “destroying two stone columns, damaging the roof, and breaking windows,” the park service said.

The truck also spilled a dry form of sodium sulfate mined in the Searles Valley southwest of Death Valley and diesel fuel onto the roadway, which required an overnight hazmat team cleanup.

Route 190 reopened at 11 a.m. Wednesday after being blocked for 22 hours.

Contact Taylor Lane at tlane@reviewjournal.com.