San Diego man killed in crash on Highway 44 in Duval County

A San Diego, Texas man died in a crash on State Highway 44 in Duval County, a loss that reaches well beyond county lines for families in Alice, San Diego and nearby Jim Wells County communities. SH 44 is one of the main routes people use to move between South Texas towns for work, school, medical trips and ranch travel.

Texas Department of Transportation records show State Highway 44 has long been a regional artery. The route was first described in a Sept. 26, 1939 minute order running from Corpus Christi through Robstown to Alice, and a July 1, 1940 minute order added the section from San Diego to Freer. That corridor now links Corpus Christi, Robstown, Alice, San Diego and Freer, which is why a deadly wreck in Duval County matters to drivers on both sides of the county line.

The geography also helps explain the risk. Rural highways across South Texas can turn dangerous when speeds are high, lighting is limited and long open stretches leave little room for error, especially when weather changes. On a road like SH 44, a familiar drive can become unforgiving in an instant, particularly after dark or in poor visibility.

Jim Wells County has about 38,800 residents in 2025, according to USAFacts, making it the 84th-most populous county in Texas. San Diego itself has about 3,675 residents, and Alice remains the county seat of Jim Wells County. In a region that size, news of a fatal crash spreads quickly because so many residents share the same roads, schools, churches, and family ties across county lines.

Authorities have not yet released the full circumstances of the wreck, including what led to the collision, whether speed, visibility or road conditions played a role, or if enforcement was already in the area. For now, the death stands as another reminder that State Highway 44, while essential to daily life in South Texas, carries the kind of traffic and conditions where one mistake can change a family’s life in seconds.