A horrific multi-car crash left five confirmed fatalities and multiple injuries when nearly 100 cars and trucks crashed on an icy Fort Worth highway early Thursday.
According to the Fort Worth Fire Department, rescuers had to cut trapped people out of their cars and take “multiple patients” to hospitals.
The incident occurred at around 6:30 a.m. following a night of freezing rain and sleet that made the Interstate-35W extremely slick.
Surveillance footage from the scene depicts dozens of vehicles on top of each other, including cars, heavy trucks, and 18-wheelers.
“Information will change going throughout the day as we get more information,” Fort Worth Fire Department officer Mike Drivdahl said.
“We are going vehicle, by vehicle, to make sure that anybody that is still trapped in their vehicle has been extricated, if possible. There are a lot of vehicles to go through.”
The officer added that at least 36 people were rushed to area hospitals with some transferred to trauma centers for more severe wounds.
“First responders actually had difficulty getting to the vehicles,” added Drivdahl. “As they were making their way on the freeway to get to those vehicles it is very slippery.”
“We did have to get quite a bit of sand out here…we did everything we could to get as much traction as possible.”
