REFUGIO — DPS troopers continue to investigate a fatal crash that allegedly began with a Woodsboro man’s road rage and ended with the death of a 51-year-old Corpus Christi man at 2 p.m. Tuesday on U.S. 77, two miles north of Refugio.

Leon Dale Buff was pronounced dead at the scene by Judge Lorraine Lopez, justice of the peace 1 for Refugio County.

Donald Terrell Starr of Woodsboro “had a conflict with the driver of a truck tractor and experienced road rage,” according to the report filed by Trooper Robert Eugene Brown, who investigated the accident. Starr drove directly in front of the tractor and came to a complete stop in the outside lane of the highway, according to the report.

Firas Walid Hmeidan of Melvindale, Mich., was driving north in a 2005 International truck tractor for Moe’s Transport Trucking of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Buff was behind both Starr and Hmeidan. The Corpus Christi man was driving a 2006 Dodge pickup and was towing a trailer.

The driver of the tractor trailer braked hard to avoid hitting Starr’s stopped vehicle. Buff also braked hard and steered right in an attempt to avoid the collision. Buff went into a skid and struck the trailer being towed by the truck tractor.

Buff’s towed trailer separated after impact and came to rest in the bar ditch. The pickup also went into the bar ditch and stopped. Buff was wearing a seat belt.

“(Buff) was unable to avoid hitting the trailer on the big truck,” said Charlie Ogden, communications operator with DPS in Corpus Christi.

Starr fled the scene but was located later, according to the DPS report.

Neither Starr nor Hmeidan suffered injuries.

Ogden said the investigation is still underway.