Multiple pile-up crashes have caused traffic backups around Dallas Wednesday morning after winter weather moved through the area earlier than expected.
The accidents happened on the morning of February 23rd in and around Dallas, Texas.
According to Fox 4 DFW, at least three pile up crashes have happened on major highways, along with a slew of other crashes on more minor roadways. These incidents include a wreck involving at least six vehicles and a semi truck on southbound highway 75 at Stacy Road near the McKinney and Allen border; a 16 vehicle pile-up blocking all but one lane of the eastbound LBJ Freeway at Garland Road; and a crash involving four tractor trailers on Interstate 30 at FM 1187, backing up traffic on the interstate. Drivers are advised to avoid all three of these areas.
In addition to these pile-up wrecks, first responders had to ask police to shut down the ramp on southbound I-35W to Loop 820 because more crashes kept happening around them as they responded to an initial wreck.
Officials say that, while TxDOT crews did spend Tuesday pre-treating roads and bridges, driving conditions were not expected to deteriorate so drastically until Thursday.
“We really didn’t [expect it]. You know, we all had a little bit of post-traumatic stress from the weather from the last couple of weeks or a couple of weeks ago and then certainly from last year but this was a lot worse than we thought it was going to be this morning,” said Medstar Mobile Healthcare spokesman Matt Zavadsky.
“We’ve all got one winter storm under our belt. We are ready to get back out. We have crews on standby,” said Kenna Mitchell, a spokeswoman for TxDOT’s Dallas region. “The big component of safety and winter weather awareness is the drivers on the road.”
More freezing rain is expected through Thursday morning.