DENTON — Police have identified a woman killed after her car slammed into an 18-wheeler and caught fire just north of Denton.
Police were called to northbound I-35 near the Rector Road exit at about 2:06 p.m. Monday after a black Kia being driven by Harlea Barrentine hit the back of a semi-tractor trailer, wedging the vehicle underneath the truck.
The Kia caught fire and Barrentine was pronounced dead at the scene.
No other people were injured.
Denton police temporarily shut down all northbound lanes of I-35 at Milam to Rector roads as they investigated at the scene and crews worked to clear the accident.
Police say TxDOT had an electronic sign to move traffic into one lane through a construction zone at the time of the crash. Witnesses say Barrentine was traveling at about 50 mph and was having trouble maintaining one lane of traffic before the crash occurred.
"Traffic in the left lane at the point of the construction area was moving at a very slow pace," police said in a press release. "Upon approaching the construction area, the Kia suddenly maneuvered into the left lane. It ran into and under the back of the semi-tractor trailer with little to no change in speed."
Barrentine is a resident of Edmond, Oklahoma.
Police are investigating whether there are other factors that led to the crash.