Police said an unknown chemical was found inside a van after it struck a parked car on Delga Street north of downtown.
FORT WORTH, TX — Two men died and a firefighter was taken to a hospital Thursday after a van crashed in a Fort Worth neighborhood and first responders found a large amount of an unknown chemical inside the vehicle, police said.
The case quickly shifted from what first appeared to be a neighborhood crash into a death investigation and hazardous-material response. Fort Worth police said officers and firefighters were sent to the 1900 block of Delga Street just before 11:30 a.m. on April 16, after reports of a vehicle hitting a parked car near the North Freeway frontage road. By late afternoon, investigators still had not said what chemical was inside the van, how the two victims died, or whether the substance itself played a role in the deaths.
Police said the incident began when a black van struck a parked car on Delga Street and came to a stop less than a block later. When officers arrived, one man was already dead inside the van, according to police spokesman Buddy Calzada. First responders then tried to help the driver, but he also died at the scene, Calzada said. The discovery of a large amount of an unknown chemical inside the vehicle changed the response almost immediately, bringing added caution to a residential block of small homes north of downtown. A firefighter who may have been exposed to the substance was taken to a hospital for treatment. Authorities did not immediately release the firefighter’s condition, and officials did not say how many other responders were evaluated on scene. What started as a crash call became a tightly controlled investigation with police, firefighters and hazmat personnel working to secure the area and figure out what was inside the van.
Officials were careful Thursday not to draw conclusions about the deaths before lab work and medical findings are complete. Police said they are still trying to determine how the two men died. That leaves several major questions unresolved: whether the chemical was in open containers or sealed ones, whether the men were overcome before the crash, whether the van was being used to transport the substance, and whether anyone in nearby homes faced any danger. Authorities said the area was secured after the chemical was discovered, but they did not announce evacuations or a wider public threat in the reports released Thursday. The victims’ names were not made public. Investigators also did not say how fast the van was moving before it hit the parked car, how badly the vehicle was damaged, or whether detectives had found any signs of criminal activity beyond the deaths themselves. Police described the substance only as unknown, a phrase that underscored how early the inquiry remained even hours after the scene was closed off.
The location added another layer of concern because the crash happened on a neighborhood street rather than an industrial site or highway shoulder. Delga Street sits in a modest residential area near the North Freeway, close enough to downtown that emergency crews could respond quickly, but still lined with homes, parked vehicles and everyday foot traffic. In that setting, even a small hazardous-material release can force responders to slow down, isolate the vehicle and work through a more deliberate checklist before moving victims or searching the interior. Hazmat incidents tied to ordinary traffic calls are uncommon enough that they often create confusion in the first hour, especially when responders do not yet know whether they are dealing with toxic fumes, flammable chemicals or narcotics-related materials. That uncertainty appeared to shape the official response Thursday. Police gave only narrow confirmed details, and fire officials limited public comment to the basic fact that one firefighter was transported for possible exposure while the scene was stabilized.
The investigation now appears to be moving along two tracks. Detectives with Fort Worth police are working the crash and death scene, while the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office is expected to identify the two men and determine their causes of death. Those findings will be central to what happens next. If the men died because of a toxic exposure, investigators will need to know what the substance was and how it was being handled inside the van. If the deaths were tied to some other medical or criminal event, the crash may prove to have been a final consequence rather than the main cause. Police also will need to decide whether the case remains a traffic investigation, becomes a criminal investigation, or involves state or federal agencies with expertise in hazardous substances. No charges were announced Thursday, no arrests were reported, and no court filings were identified in the initial round of public statements. Officials also did not give a date for a formal briefing, though additional information could come after lab testing and autopsy results are complete.
Neighbors and passing drivers were left with the sight of emergency vehicles clustered around a van on a quiet block as investigators worked through the afternoon. The strongest public comments came from officials trying to stick to verified facts. Calzada said police were still working to determine how the victims died, a reminder that the most important answers were still out of reach hours after the crash. The firefighter’s trip to the hospital also became part of the story because it showed the risk had extended beyond the people in the van. In incidents involving an unidentified chemical, even routine steps such as opening a door, checking a pulse or moving closer to the vehicle can become more dangerous until crews know what they are facing. That caution likely helped keep the public message measured. By evening, the scene had yielded a basic outline of events, but not the full story behind why two men were dead inside a crashed van on a residential Fort Worth street.
The case remained open Thursday evening, with police awaiting more evidence about the chemical, the identities of the victims and the cause of each death. The next major milestone is expected to come from the medical examiner and any follow-up statement from Fort Worth police after investigators complete initial scene processing and testing.
Author note: Last updated April 16, 2026.