The Texas Panhandle’s Most Dangerous Highway: The Deadly Route Between Amarillo and Borger

The Texas Panhandle is filled with many roads, highways, and interstates.  Driving on any of these can be dangerous. You never know what might happen when you get behind the wheel of a vehicle and start driving on the Texas Panhandle Roads. However, one stretch of Texas Panhandle highway is one of the most dangerous in this area.  So drivers need to take extra pre-cautions when traveling this road.

Get our free mobile app

State Highway 136

Better known as the Fritch Highway, many of us have driven this stretch of road over the years just to go and visit Lake Meredith.  For safety, this is one road you might want to avoid traveling at night.

Highway 136 is the Deadliest Highway in the Texas Panhandle

Over the last 3 years and beyond, too many lives have been lost on this highway.

2024 Highway 136 Fatalities

• January 9, 2024, marked the first death of the year on this highway when a 50-year-old man lost control of his vehicle in icy conditions.
• April 2, 2024 - A woman stepped out onto the highway in Fritch, and was hit and killed.
• December 9, 2024 - Tragedy struck when a man had a medical episode while traveling on 136, his car crossed over into the other lane striking another car head-on, and he was killed.  The other driver was injured.

Fatalities on Highway 136 in 2023

• June 19, 2023 - A 2013 Kia Optima driven by a 35-year-old man crossed into the westbound lane of 136, hitting a 2013 Hyundai Elantra driven by a 21-year-old female, head-on.  Both drivers were killed in the accident.
• August 2, 2023 - a 28-year-old woman was walking across 136 north of Borger, when a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado stuck her killing her.  The driver did not see her until it was too late.  The driver was not injured.
• August 13, 2023 - A car was traveling on southbound FM 687, while another car was traveling on 136.  The driver of the car on 687 failed to yield the right of way and hit the other vehicle.  The driver of the first car was arrested for DWI, the other driver was killed.

Highway 136 Fatalities 2022 - 2014

In 2022,  4 fatalities occurred on the stretch of 136 between Amarillo and Borger.  One wreck in February took the life of one and critically injured 2.  Just a week ago it took the lives of 3 people.  On May 15, 2022, a person was killed just outside of Borger.  The crash was due to driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Just 15 days after that crash, a person died on 136 just outside of Pampa. Three teenage sisters were also killed on this highway in 2022.

On April 21, 2021, this highway took the life of 37-year-old Kenneth Collins, in a head-on collision with a semi-truck.  Also, on January 22, 2021, 53-year-old Rodney Valle was killed on this road.

Halloween 2021- three traffic accidents occurred at the same time, Highway 136 and Hwy 281 north of Stinnett, a car ran into a cow.  Highway 136 north of Canadian River Bridge and north of Borger, a car rolled over. Highway 136 and FM 245 between Fritch and Amarillo, car rollover in the middle of the highway.

Between 2009 and 2014 this particular Highway has 23 deaths.  The death toll of State Highway 136 has continued to rise and will continue to rise until the powers that be figure out a way to make this highway safer for drivers.