Two people are dead, while a third is facing life-threatening injuries after a 350,000-pound load detached from a trailer and crushed a vehicle on a Texas highway.

Firefighters responded to the accident shortly after 11 a.m., on Saturday, near the central Texas city of Temple.

"Upon arrival, crews found an oversized load had come off of its trailer, pinning a vehicle beneath," Temple Fire and Rescue wrote on Facebook. "It is not known what that piece of equipment is."

Ten units and 25 people from Temple Fire and Rescue responded to the scene, assisted by personnel from several other nearby agencies. For four hours crews worked to safely extricate the surviving passenger, who was flown to the emergency room.

The cause of the collision remains under investigation. The victims have not yet been publicly identified.