The Horrible Crash in Fort Worth

[JI7]

Cars were unable to stop because of the freezing weather which made ground ice slick . A bunch of cars were just piling up since they were unable to stop and a huge fedex truck crashed into the pile up .

From what I understand there are ways to treat the ground during this type of weather but that was not done and that this was a toll road also. Maybe those who live in places with much colder weather can explain this. It seems best to not go out at all when things are like this .

Below is Video of the Crash

&t=84s

[WhiteTara]

1. Texas is run by republicons and they

don't like to spend money to take care of the public. They need that money for themselves.

[MicaelS]

24. This occurred on a private tollway.

THEY failed to treat the roadway on the day in question.

[WhiteTara]

29. Thanks! In that case

I hope that company is sued out of existence.

[MicaelS]

30. Me too. n/t

[mdelaguna]

2. People going too fast

That’s cray.

[Arthur_Frain]

28. This right here, and nothing else.

99% of collisions are avoidable. People are in too much of a damn hurry, and don’t consider the consequences of their actions.

[thinkingagain]

3. Don't know about Texas

But in my state they sand when they plow. Or before they expect a problem they spray the roads with a anti-icing agent. Not necessarily perfect but seems to help some.

[AmyStrange]

22. It's bad for the environment, but salt mixed with sand is actually the best.

-

No sources, just my opinion, but I am from New England, and that's what they use in Connecticut.
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[WhiskeyGrinder]

4. What is there to explain? Water freezes at 32 degrees, and if you don't treat the roads,

that will make them slick. If you drive too fast on a slick road, you're more likely to spin out or not slow down in time, especially if you're not used to icy roads.

[catbyte]

5. That FedEx truck was going waaaaaaaaay too fast for conditions. I hope the driver is at least cited

for reckless driving. I hope s/he didn't kill or maim anybody.

BTW, congratulations on your 83,000th post!

[Paladin]

8. I don't see evidence of that FedEx driver even applying the brakes.

He just plowed into that pile of wrecked cars, full speed, head-on. I am amazed (and very thankful) that there were only 6 fatalities; after viewing that footage, I figured it would be twice that number.

[Stallion]

31. Yeah Also No Explosions Which Could Have Killed Many Trapped Witnesses

[Liberal In Texas]

11. 6 dead. 150 vehicles estimated at one point.

People drive way too fast when road conditions get dicey.

[catbyte]

12. No kidding. It's unbelievable. Here in Michigan, folks think they're invincable, barreling down the

freeway at 70 mph just because they have 4-wheel drive which is useless on ice. I don't know how many times I've had vehicles fly by me in sketchy conditions, only to see them spun out and in the ditch or median a mile to two up the road. It's a miracle they didn't start a chain reaction like what happened in Texas. Black ice is the worst because you can't see it. But they should've known it was a possibility given the forecast. What a tragedy.

[Pharlo]

17. From what I can see, they are ALL driving way too fast.

Once the temps reach a certain point and the roads are wet and not weatherized, assume ice, black ice, or slippery conditions and drive accordingly. Hell, if you had a frost the night before, temps aren't above freezing, and roads are not weatherized, drive as if you anticipate encountering black ice at some point.

The biggest problem I observe here is people clearly unfamiliar in driving in these conditions. In addition, the individuals involved in road conditions and upkeep are probably as ignorant. Expensive lesson.

[bluecollar2]

34. Nailed it!

I spent almost 30 years driving in and around Fort Worth...

Everybody drives too fast regardless of conditions. The only time they don't is when it's gridlocked.

The danger is compounded by Texas drivers seeming inability to grasp the concept of allowing a safe distance between vehicles.

Tailgating...

[BusyBeingBest]

18. I've seen people try to defend the FedEx driver by saying how impossible it is

to stop on ice, but he was really moving--if he had applied brakes he probably would have jackknifed or skidded off the roadway further back, but he appeared to be going straight as an arrow at full speed. Every time I watched that video I thought, "I'm watching people die". Disturbing.

[MagickMuffin]

6. Apparently the road conditions changed rapidly and black ice is hard to predict

I live a few miles from where this happened. This stretch of highway is also elevated, so that is also a serious factor to consider driving on the open roads. The newly designed toll road wasn't designed very well in my opinion, and one of our State Rep. He's pissed that the roads were not weatherized.

I watched some of the cleanup efforts from our local ABC affiliate they have 10 hrs. of footage, I only watched a small portion to see how they remove vehicles that are piled up like this.


I do not drive in such conditions. It is unpredictable and you never know what will happen. Even skilled drivers can be caught off guard.


I was definitely wondering why so many people were using the toll road at 6:00 am.

[bullwinkle428]

10. Even in a red state where I live (Iowa), there are plenty of signs stating that bridges

and overpasses' surfaces freeze more quickly than the rest of the road surfaces. I guess it has to do with the metal superstructure providing the foundation for that surface. Regarding people being out there at that time under those conditions, there are still plenty of us that have to get up every day and go to work at a physical site.

I'm fortunate that IDOT takes winter driving conditions seriously, and they do plenty of pre-treating of major highway surfaces with a brine solutions, and continue to treat with salt and sand as the precipitation falls. I have a silver car, and couldn't believe how absolutely coated my entire vehicle was after a couple of days of this.

[MagickMuffin]

13. Yes, we have the overpass signs as well

And I don't know why these roadways were not treated that night from what I've gathered.

[dalton99a]

15. There are signs that read "BRIDGE MAY ICE IN COLD WEATHER" all over Texas

or an older, foldable version that says "WATCH FOR ICE ON BRIDGE"

[bullwinkle428]

19. So it probably comes down to the most common cause of accidents that occur anywhere,

at any time - people not totally focused on the task at hand. And that focus needs to increase several times over under conditions like the ones that caused this wreck.

[AmyStrange]

25. You're right. You can't learn to drive in ice or snow over night.

-

I'm in Seattle, and it doesn't snow here much, but when it does, I swear people are out driving around like it's a freakin' game.

We just got a few inches and it's happening right now!
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[cwydro]

26. Yeah, makes you wonder.

People drive way too fast these days no matter the conditions.

[underpants]

7. "Travel could be nearly impossible on Saturday"

Ice Storm Warning on The Weather Channel says:

“Travel could be nearly impossible on Saturday. “

Mid Atlantic - Richmond VA 😳

[catbyte]

9. So scary. And if predictions pan out, it will be very dangerous as far south as Louisiana

and Mississippi by Tuesday. I hope any DUers in the affected areas stay safe!

[underpants]

14. Ice here. Cars covered.

and, of course, Walgreens keeps calling YES I KNOW WE HAVE A PRESCRIPTION!!!

[Mariana]

16. There are a lot of roads

and they probably don't have enough equipment on hand to treat all of them in a timely manner.

[Stallion]

20. This Was Actually a Privately Owned Tollway Running in the Middle of the Interstate

...and there is mounting evidence that the privately owned tollway authority was negligent in failing to apply the de-icing solvents to these tollway lanes

btw these Tollways are owned by a Spanish entity. So we Texans pay tolls that go to the financial benefit of a Spanish entity. Geez

[DFW]

21. Here in Germany, we are used to crashes like this

Germans don't slow down for minor hindrances like fog so thick you can't see ten meters in front of you or Autobahn stretches so icy you could hold an NHL championship on them. It's full speed ahead here, and on some Autobahn stretches, that means 200 KPH (120 MPH). German TV news once even had a special report on drivers involved in near-fatal crashes who somehow climbed out of their wrecks alive and mostly unhurt (many cars here are built very sturdily). They were asked if they intended to modify their driving habits. Most couldn't understand he question, and said, "huh? what for?"

One morning about 15 years ago, I literally HAD to drive from Osnabrück to Dortmund in the middle of an early morning snow storm. I had cars honking angrily at me on the Autobahn to go faster when at 20 MPH I could barely keep the car moving in a straight line. One car passed me at three times my speed. I passed it about 45 minutes later on, since it was motionless, upside-down on the side of the highway. No one was in it, so I guess the driver crawled out of it in good enough shape to call for help. In that part of Germany, it is very thickly settled, so I get he didn't have to wait long.

In North Texas, while we sometimes get freezing temperatures, it usually doesn't get cold enough and last long enough to cause a major highway to ice up like this one did. That's no excuse for driving at those speeds when it IS that cold, but most drivers literally have never needed to know what CAN happen in such conditions. It's like giving someone in the Maldives a set of snow skis, and telling them to use them at home should the occasion warrant it.

As in Germany, I hope people back home will learn something from this gruesome pile-up. As in Germany, I doubt it.

When my wife needed a new car, I insisted on getting her a brand that was built very solidly. She said she didn't need one, and I should know that, since she is a very responsible driver. I said, "I know YOU are. It's the 30 million OTHER manics on the road I'm worried about." She let me get her the sturdier car. It has already saved her life twice.

[JI7]

32. I think I would be scared driving or even riding with someone else in Germany

I thought it would mostly be safe but I looked it up and compared to some other similar cities in Europe they do have more accidents.

[DFW]

35. I live in Germany, and I'M scared driving here.

I take buses, trains, planes, trams, WHATEVER public transportation I can find unless there is absolutely no other form of transportation available to get me where I want to go when I need to go there.

[Progressive Jones]

23. As a life long Chicagoan I say, "Welcome To The Club, Sunny Southern States." nt

[ecstatic]

27. In a situation like that, do people evacuate their cars and

make their way to the front of the pileup? I can't imagine waiting in my car as a sitting duck, but at the same time, it wouldn't be safe to stand on the sides either. Such a dangerous, awful situation!

[Kid Berwyn]

33. People driving too fast for conditions.

Often, a driver doesn’t realize the road is icy until the moment one needs to slow down or change direction. In “black ice” they may never see that the road is slippery at all. Then, it’s too late to maintain control.

Tailgaters following also get in immediate trouble, starting the chain reaction. Those farther back think they can stop as normal, but find they just keep going.

In general, southern states face less harsh winters, so drivers are unfamiliar with the potential for dangerous conditions. Happens up north, too, as drivers often make big mistakes driving on the first icy or snowy day of the season.