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Subscribe to RSSWandering packs of wild hogs are creating a dangerous situation on Texas' new 85-mile-per hour toll road, triggering three crashes the first evening the highway was open. KXAN's Shannon Wolfson reports.
Life in the fast lane might not be all it's talked up to be.
That's because drivers in Texas are reportedly running into wildlife on a newly opened section of the Lone Star State's Highway 130 — which has been widely touted as the fastest road in the nation with a posted speed limit of 85 mph. The 41-mile stretch of public-private toll road, which runs between Austin and San Antonio, opened to drivers on Wednesday.
The San Antonio Express-News reported that at least two hogs and a deer have been hit on the road since it opened. Officials say no drivers were injured in those incidents, according to the newspaper.
The hogs are a normal sight in the area — Texas claims the largest feral hog population in the country, according to the Express-News.
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On Thursday, a driver had minor injuries after the first vehicle rollover happened on the road close to Interstate 10, according to the Express-News. An official with the Texas Department of Public Safety told the newspaper he does not believe speed was a factor.
Just one day after the fastest highway in the nation opened, a car rolled over resulting in minor injuries. It's unknown at this point if speed was a factor. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
This toll road extension was built and is being maintained by the State Highway 130 Concession Co., according to the Express-News.
"As on any highway, we have had sporadic reports of vehicles colliding with wildlife," a spokesman for the private company, Chris Lippincott, said in a statement Friday.
Lippincott also noted that State Highway 130 "is subject to the same laws and enforcement as any state highway." He said they could not provide comment on the accidents, as they are under investigation.
The new span of toll road is intended to alleviate congestion on parts of Interstate 35, which runs parallel.
Utah is the only other state in the country with posted speeds at 80 mph, with that as the limit on portions of Interstate 15, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
With a speed limit of 85 mph, the 41-mile stretch of toll road between Austin and San Antonio could be the beginning of an autobahn concept in the U.S. NBC's Janet Shamlian reports.
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Leave a Comment:
News flash MSNBC...Drivers colliding with animals on ALL US highways
here in texas we have a feral hog population over 4 million and expanding every year and deer crossing the highways all the time. 85 is just a number anyway. what concerns me is the idiots who drive like it's a sunday afternoon. that will get you killed lickity split, or the person who caused a three car pile up because they swerved to miss the skunk. Smoothe move sherlock...
I will be glad when this election BS is over so you idiots will quit interjecting politics into every single discussion!
The only feral hogs I have ever seen in Texas were ugly, hairy, fat, liberal women and you only see them on the streets of Austin.
Hey Bad Animal? squeal for us will ya...show us your feral hog impression...awww man, c'mon you can do it....ready...1....2....3
Wait...wait, get down on all fours first...you have to be convincing now don't ya?
Hey Tck063, why do you want Bad Animal to get on all fours while you lay face down below him? your the one that's supposed to squeal like a hog at that point.
in idaho you could hit a moose or an elk try that on for size. they take out tractor and trailers.
Was listening to the noon news on the radio, and a spokesman for TxDOT said that eventually the hogs will figure it out. LOL!!!!
One thing is sure. Hogs and deer will happen into that roadway only so long.
RoadHOGS!
Don't hog the road
The speed limit was already 70 mph. That means most traffic was already around 78-80mph anyway. All it means now is traffic will probably be around 90 to 95mph. It won't make a big difference.
Couldn't people just catch it and eat it? You know, it should taste like pork right? Yeah yeah diseases and stuff but what if you cook it so that it's well done like 180 degrees Farenheit then it's gotta be ok then right?!
Why drive 85? Hell, drive 120, hit a 450 pound hog and die!
No big deal - Texas just needs to order more shipments of apple sauce.
There are more feral hogs in Texas than in Arkansas. They serve in the legislature and courts. When one becomes road kill, ten more are being groomed for office. They are mostly Republicans and love to exercise the death penalty on blacks, Latinos, and developmentally delayed people.
I would say your dumbass would be a pretty good canidate too.
I get a laugh when 1 person calls someone else a dumb ass and can't even spell "CANDIDATE" right.
A little unfair there Star, it was an obvious typo. It's easy to miss a letter or hit a letter beside the one you intended, we've all done it. A few days ago, a poster spelled scheme s-k-e-e-m, now THAT'S worth mentioning!
Leroy - There is always the option of proof reading your post before submitting it.
"I'm in a hurry to get things done
Rushing, rushing 'till life's no fun
All I really gotta do is live and die, but
I'm in a hurry and don't know why"
This is Texas' answer to population control. Go hogs!
Here all this time I thought they were talking about the drivers when they said FERAL HOGS.
Anyone want to take bets on when the "first" speeding ticket will be issused...?? lol
I tell you what man, that dang ol' fastest highway in America too short man, they ought to run that dang 'ol thing clear out to California man you know and do that dang o'l smokey and the bandit theme song man...goes like east bound and down.
85 mph is a big deal here in America and you can be injured at just about any speed if you hit an animal but I have driven on the German autobahn at 135 mph or 220 Km . I too find I am passed in America when I am driving 70 a lot and it is not unusual for people to be doing above 80 on most highways I have been on in America . The thing is if you are going around 80-85 you need to pay closer attention to the road . And that might not be a bad thing ! But it would help if Americans had to take drivers ed like they do in places like Germany . I did and have had training for driving emergency vehicles too . I bet a lot of people would be happy to pay to have a little fun learning how to drive like the police , and or professionals do on a test track .
On a list of importance where 1 is extra important and 99 is least this is a 98. So why doesn't nbc continue investigating why Obama wasn't personally aware of the attack and the request for support, are his people afraid of giving him serious problems or was he otherwise engaged and instructed everyone not to bother him. Hurricance Sandy is a 1 on the list but surely Benghazi is a 4 and deserves more coverage
Big Al,
Please, name one incident where any right under the 2nd amendment has been taken away from you. President O'Bama is one of the most gun friendly presidents we've seen. I love how all Right Wing Nut Jobs (yeah, it's a stereotype) but if you're going to continue to paint all Liberals with the same brush, we may as well do it too. Can't wait for Nov. 7th to watch all the right wingers weep:)