Dangerous icy conditions in Texas resulted in a massive pile-up on Interstate 35W during Thursday morning’s rush hour prompting authorities to urge citizens to stay at home.
There have been at least six people found dead in the 133 vehicles involved and more than 60 people were transported to nearby hospitals.
From Fox News:
“The scene we saw today is really, probably, unlike anything any of us have seen, and we pray to God we never see it again,” Fort Worth police Chief Neil Noakes told the station. “Our hearts, our thoughts, our prayers go out to everyone negatively affected by this tragic incident.”
The first crash in the string occurred around 6:15 a.m. Thursday, Noakes said, adding that ice on the road appeared to be a factor. Crashes stretched for nearly a mile along the road, FOX 4 reported.
The road “may not have been properly treated by the operator,” contributing to the crash, Texas state Sen. Beverly Powell told Fox News.
Multiple videos posted on Twitter showed how quickly the icy surface turned a traffic jam into a disaster.
LOOK: the moment of impact causing the deadly crash in Fort Worth 😢 pic.twitter.com/Jo4VPGTN9F
— Cynthia McLaughlin (@cynthiasmu) February 11, 2021
The same conditions that led to the incident also made it difficult for local agencies to conduct emergency response operations.
Mike Drivdahl, Fort Worth Fire public information officer, told Fox News that people continued to walk up to rescue workers to report medical events.
The Fort Worth Police Department and local service Med Star were on the scene, assisting with the emergency response.
Due to the icy conditions, the agencies brought in sand trucks to help improve law enforcement and the fire department’s ability to reach and assist people in need.
“This is obviously not something we deal with a lot in Fort Worth,” Drivdahl said, referring to the ice and snow. “But we do have the resources to respond to it.”
Officials are begging residents to remain home due to these extreme conditions. Between the icy roads and the accident, the roads have become “very dangerous,” they said.
