Nearly 40 people were taken to the local hospital.
The 100-car pileup in Dallas-Fort Worth on Thursday morning is being blamed on overnight sleet, freezing rain, and other weather conditions. The Dallas Morning News reports that at least five people have been killed in the incident. First responders searched through wreckage looking for victims and those still stuck in their vehicles.
The accident occurred on Texas’ northbound I-35 highway, which connects Austin and the two cities. It shut down the entire highway. The slippery roads made it difficult for first responders to reach the vehicles, according to CBS 11 DFW. Crews managed to rescue most of the victims or remove them within four hours. The incident started at 6:30 AM CST. Mike Drivdahl, Forth Worth Fire Department’s public information officer, stated at a press conference, that first responders would go vehicle to vehicle. However, he said, “There are a lot more vehicles to go through.”
Multiple online videos of the incident show horrendous footage of semi-trucks and cars violently colliding into the pileup. Video shows the aftermath with mangled metal and cars being crushed. CBS 11 DFW reported that 36 people were taken to local hospitals, while severely injured motorists were taken by ambulance to trauma centers. Many were in critical condition when they arrived at the hospital. Police told the news outlet that cleanup would take “hours” and that wreckers would need to be used to separate multiple vehicles. This would add time to the recovery process.
Forth Worth Office of Emergency Management established a family reunion center to help those who are looking for relatives that may have been involved in the accident. CBS 11 DWF was told by a man who was involved in the crash that “you don’t feel the ice until you see it.” Ice roads can quickly turn deadly, especially when visibility is poor.