Massive pileup traps drivers on Texas freeway
Dozens of vehicles collide on highway in Fort Worth, Texas. Bill Hemmer reports.
Five of the six victims from the 133-vehicle pileup in Texas have been identified.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner confirmed the identities of several of the victims as of Friday morning.
The victims include Aaron Watson, 45, and Tiffany Gerred, 34, both of Fort Worth; Christopher Vardy, 49, of Boyd, Texas; Michael Wells, 47, of Justin, Texas; and William Williams, 54, of Pahoa, Hawaii.
Tiffany Gerred, 34
Watson is survived by his wife, Jane, and two children. A family friend, Sara Suttle, described Watson as a good family man and great husband and father, CBS Dallas-Fort Worth reported.
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Dozens of victims were transported in various conditions to local hospitals. The icy conditions that caused the crash also made it difficult for rescue workers to reach the cars and victims, but some people who witnessed the crash were able to help free trapped drivers.
Christopher Vardy, 49
Ryan Chaney had stopped after a fender bender in the main lanes. When he saw cars skidding and crashing, Chaney ran to help people in their cars, breaking the window of an SUV to pull a woman out.
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"After beating on it for what seemed like three minutes I got a hole. I was able to get my hand through it but it was still too tough so I ended up just punching it until it finally gave out. I pulled her out and got her over the barrier," Chaney told Fox 4 News.
(Twitter: Fort Worth Fire Department)
"So many people were just kind of popping up and getting people out of their cars. I mean, within a few minutes this thing was half a mile and longer."
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One driver described the condition of the road as being "like stepping on an ice rink."
(Twitter: Fort Worth Fire Department)
"I wasn’t speeding," Shane, who declined to give his last name, told the Star-Telegram. "I was going relatively slow, paying attention to what was coming up ahead of me."
Shane said that he saw cars moving "up around" him on the ice.
Tamara Porter’s husband was trapped as his car was hit by three other vehicles in the pileup.
"He was like somebody hit me from behind," Porter said. "Like three cars hit me. The car is totaled."
Porter said that her husband injured his arm and was treated at a hospital.
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Fort Worth police reported that four officers were also injured in the crash: Three officers were on their way to work, while one was injured helping at the scene. All officers have since been released from the hospital.
