6 Dead, More Than 60 Injured in 130-Vehicle Pileup on Icy Texas Interstate

By Joshua Summers First Posted: Feb 12, 2021 04:48 AM EST

130 Vehicle Pile-Up Kills 6 People on Icy Texas Interstate

(Photo : Ben Sklar)
A street sign is covered in ice January 17, 2007 in Austin, Texas. Much of Texas was paralyzed after a rare storm of snow and ice blanketed the area, shutting schools and businesses.

At least six people were dead, and more than 60 were injured in a massive crash involving more than 130 vehicles on an icy Texas interstate on Thursday morning, officials said.

Fox 10 reported that the incident scene on Interstate 35 near downtown Fort Worth showed a tangle of cars, semitrailers, and trucks crashed into each other and had turned every which way, with several vehicles on top of others.

In a drone footage by ABC, pieces and shreds of vehicle parts can be seen scattered along the road, making it difficult for the authorities to fix and subdue the traffic.

According to a U.S. News report, Jim Davis, Fort Worth Fire Chief, said that multiple people were trapped within the confines of their vehicles, which requires hydraulic rescue equipment to successfully rescue them out.

How Did the Crash on the Texas Interstate Happen?

Officials said the incident happened at around 6 a.m. when many hospitals and emergency workers were heading to and from work, Fox10 reported. Thus, the officials noted that a large number of those involved in the accident were health care workers and emergency responders, including police officers.

A spokesman for MedStar, Matt Zavadsky, told U.S. News that they could see many victims wearing scrubs with their hospital IDs.

During the rescue, ABC said a vehicle collided with an ambulance on the scene. Fortunately, it sustained only minor damage, and the crew was not injured.

Zavadsky told Fox 10 that the ambulance which was hit have their team inside carrying a sand and salt mixture that they utilize in the scene to rescue the victims. He added that the roadway was so treacherous from the ice that some first responders were falling on the scene.

Police established a reunification center intended for families to learn more about their loved ones caught in the accident. According to Zavadsky, 65 people were being treated at the hospitals. He noted that 36 of them were taken by ambulance from the site, including three with critical injuries.

Other Areas Affected by Winter Storm

Fox 10 reported that a winter storm dropped freezing rain, sleet, and snow on parts of the U.S. on Thursday. In Tennessee, the police responded to about 30 traffic collisions, and some flights were delayed at the Memphis International Airport due to the ice storm.

On the other hand, the Kentucky governor declared a state of emergency to free up funding and allow agencies to coordinate and respond to reports of slick roads and downed power lines. Schools and government offices in southern Indiana were closed.

The Winter Storm Activity

In an interview with ABC, a meteorologist from National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, Steve Goss, said the storm came like a polar vortex. This swirling air that usually sits on the Earth's surface traveled near the U.S.-Canada border.

As a result, Goss said the weather become colder, farther south than usual. He added that this was the reason why there was an unusually cold air spilling south across a good portion of the U.S., east of the Rocky Mountains.