In the last few days Texas has seen an influx of potentially dangerous winter weather events. A historic snow has been ripping through the state and there is snow and ice across the entire state making safe driving extremely difficult.
130+ Car Pile Up
On February 11, there was a 133 vehicle pileup on 1-35W in Fort Worth which is likely to have occurred due to Texas roadways being slick from freezing rain and sleet that fell during the night and morning. This kind of weather is uncommon in Texas and Texans were inadequately prepared for this winter storm. This multiple vehicle pile left some people trapped in their cars and shut down the highway. There have been 6 confirmed fatalities, but it estimated there are more unconfirmed fatalities as well. After the crash, 65 people sought medical attention.
The police department officially ruled the accident to be due to the weather causing poor driving conditions. The road was said to be pretreated by North Tarrant Express before the crash with sand. However, the sand did not create enough traction for the cars traveling on the roadway.
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Mass Casualty Event
The first responders who arrived at the pile up called it a “mass casualty event” as cars, 18-wheelers, and trucks were involved. These vehicles were on top of each other, smashed, upside down, or on their sides. Due to the nature of how the cars were oriented first responders struggled with reaching the individuals involved in the accident. The road was not only hard to navigate, but also very slippery so the first responders were having trouble walking. A total of 14 ambulances were dispatched to the scene to help transport the critically injured to hospitals.
Matt Zavadsky, of Medstar, in a statement announced that all the victims were adults. There were no pediatric victims or patients in this mass vehicle pile up.
Clearing the Roadway
Police were not expecting to clear the roadway anytime soon after the accident and claimed it would take many hours to clear. Many of the vehicles needed to be separated with heavy machinery because of the volume of the crash.
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Contact a Car Accident Attorney Right Away
If you or a loved one has been involved in an icy weather related crash, do not hesitate to reach out to our firm. We could help you navigate this stressful and difficult time. Call today to get started.
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