FORT WORTH, Texas (NewsNation Now) — The Texas Department of Transportation said Friday it will continue to treat and monitor roadway conditions following a 133 car pileup that left six people dead, dozens injured and multiple people trapped in vehicles.
NTE TEXpress, or North Tarrant Express, released a statement to NewsNation affiliate KXAN Friday after the deadly crash Thursday.
“We join the greater community in our thoughts for the accident victims, their families, and those recovering,” Robert Hinkle, NTE TEXpress told NewsNation. “We will continue treating the highways through the weekend and into next week, as long as the storm is active. Our crews treat the entire corridor, managed lanes, general-purpose lanes, frontage roads, and ramps, and operate under the same procedure as the Texas Department of Transportation. Additionally, our message boards throughout the corridors have been alerting drivers of the adverse weather conditions and encouraging them to drive with caution.”
NTE TEXpress said it was working with emergency responders to manage the accident scene and clean up in order to reopen the interstate safely.
The Texas Department of Transportation Wednesday had said preparations were underway for winter weather, cautioning motorists to slow down, keep their distance from other vehicles, and remain aware of the potential for black ice.
Thursday’s pileup on Interstate 35 near downtown Fort Worth occurred when a tangle of semitrailers, cars and trucks smashed into each other and turned every which way, with some vehicles on top of others.
The crash happened just after 6 a.m. and involved many health care workers, emergency responders and police officers, officials said.
At least 65 people were treated at hospitals, with 36 of them taken by ambulance from the crash site, including three with critical injuries, said Matt Zavadsky, spokesman for MedStar, which provides the ambulance service for the area. Numerous others were treated at the scene and released, he said.
Four officers were injured, three while en route to work and one while working the scene. All officers were released from the hospital Thursday and none suffered serious injuries.
Officials asked for any witnesses with video of the scene that might help the investigation reach out to the Fort Worth Police non-emergency number: 817-392-4222.