Fog suspected in 100-vehicle Texas wrecks that claim at least two lives

[bash]

(CNN) -- At least two people were killed and as many as 120 injured in Thanksgiving pileups involving an estimated 100 cars on a foggy stretch of highway in southeast Texas, authorities said.

The first accident -- a multi-car wreck in the eastbound lands of Interstate 10 -- occurred about 8:45 a.m., according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Chain-reaction crashes followed, the department said in a news release, and included several accidents in the westbound lanes of the intersate, southwest of Beaumont in Jefferson County.


"Initial reports at the time of the crash indicated there was dense fog, which could be a contributing factor to those crashes," Texas Highway Patrol Trooper Stephanie Davis said.


The two fatalities occurred in the same vehicle, authorities said, and the victims were a male and a female. Authorities did not release identities pending notification of the victims' families.


The two were killed when their vehicle was hit from behind by an 18-wheeler, the Department of Public Safety said.
Video from CNN affiliate KBMT showed badly mangled vehicles atop one another and people who appeared to be injured stretched out in grass alongside the highway and on ambulance gurneys. Long lines of cars, each battered and some appearing to be totaled, lined the roadway. The vehicles included cars, minivans, pickups, tractor-trailer trucks and at least one FedEx truck.

In several pictures, there appeared to be a slight sheen of fog.


It was not known exactly how many injuries resulted from the accidents, said Davis.


Jefferson County Deputy Sheriff Rod Carroll said that at least 80 and as many as 120 injured people were taken from the scene. The most seriously injured were being transported to Houston, about 75 miles away.


Several victims were transported to neighboring hospitals in Beaumont and Port Arthur.


The role of fog and the causes of the accidents were still under investigation, Davis said.


Westbound lanes of the interstate were closed for nearly four hours before being reopened. The eastbound lanes of I-10 in that area were to remain closed for the eight to 10 hours, authorities said Thursday afternoon.


"We are still estimating at least eight hours to open the interstate because we have so much debris on the road that we have to clear," Davis said at midafternoon.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/22/us/tex...html?hpt=hp_t1


That is just ridiculous. How the hell do you not slow down if you can't see what's ahead of you? -_-

[brebaz]

I remember something like this happened in UAE, it was more Chaotic then this as there was a lot of casualties that day!

I wonder why the need for speed when you can't even see what's 10' ahead of you?!

[Beast of Bourbon]

Quite the contrary im surprised "only" 2 people died when 100 vehicles crashed.
It doesn't seem like excessive speed was the problem here does it?!

[brebaz]

Quite the contrary im surprised "only" 2 people died when 100 vehicles crashed.
It doesn't seem like excessive speed was the problem here does it?!

Maybe just 1 or 2 car that were speeding and the rest was caught in the Chain reaction!!

[keefy]

The problem in fog is 2 things

1. Speed
2. Not leaving enough braking space

Driving at the speed limit just means drivers are not breaking the law, some drivers do not adjust their speed to the conditions.

Looks like a lot of trucks there.

[podsaurus]

Crazy how many cars piled up. But people seem to forget how to drive properly. I hope everyone is ok but people need to pay attention and learn how to drive safely in certain conditions.

[F34R]

The problem in fog is 2 things

1. Speed
2. Not leaving enough braking space

Driving at the speed limit just means drivers are not breaking the law, some drivers do not adjust their speed to the conditions.

Looks like a lot of trucks there.

There are laws that pertain to it... "Too fast for conditions". Regardless of the posted speed limit, they are driving too fast.

Thread title, or article, etc., should be "Dumbass drivers suspected....."

[EvilJ0k3r]

That's insane!

[MATRIX 2]

Was this guy around the crash scene:

[F34R]

Was this guy around the crash scene:

LOL Epic...

[imINxile]

Mayhem like me lol!