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Subscribe to RSSSome motorists caught in a huge Texas highway pileup are being credited with saving lives of other victims of a crash that spotlights dangers in holiday travel. NBC's Tom Costello reports.
Updated at 6:50 p.m. ET: Two people died and scores of people were hurt Thursday when up to 140 vehicles collided in in dense fog Southeast Texas in a pileup that left trucks twisted on top of each other and authorities rushing to pull survivors from the wreckage.
The chain-reaction collision occurred in extremely foggy conditions at about 8:45 a.m. Thanksgiving Day on Interstate 10 southwest of Beaumont, a Gulf Coast city about 80 miles east of Houston.
A man and a woman were killed in a Chevy Suburban SUV crushed by a tractor trailer, the Texas Department of Public Safety told KFDM-TV.
Jefferson County sheriff's Deputy Rod Carroll said in a news release that 80 to 90 people were transported to hospitals with 10 to 12 of those in serious to critical condition. He said 140 to 150 vehicles were involved in the pileup.
According to DPS, a crash on the eastbound side of the highway led to other accidents in a dangerous chain reaction. There were multiple crashes on the other side of the highway as well.
"We have 18-wheelers on top of cars, we have cars on top of cars. It's just catastrophic," Carroll told NBC News.
Over 100 vehicles collided on Interstate 10 near Beaumont, Tex., on Thursday, as many were headed to visit family for Thanksgiving. Two were killed and 51 were injured, eight critically, as first responders pulled survivors out of wreckage that went for miles. NBC's Janet Shamlian reports.
He told The Associated Press the fog was so thick that deputies did not immediately realize they were dealing with multiple accidents.
I-10's eastbound lanes were re-opened Thursday evening after more than eight hours.
Texas Department of Public Safety trooper Stephanie Davis told KFDM that two people in an SUV died after the crash. She said at least 100 cars and trucks were involved in the accident.
Carroll said uninjured drivers tried to help as authorities sorted through the wreckage.
"It's just people helping people," Carroll said. "The foremost thing in this holiday season is how other travelers were helping us when we were overwhelmed, sitting and holding, putting pressure on people that were injured."
The highway had been crowded with motorists traveling during the holiday. Many of the vehicles were moving close to the posted speed of 70 mph despite dense fog that limited visibility, Carroll said.
KBMT
Some of the injured on Interstate 10 in Texas are treated near the crash scene Thursday.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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Is it any wonder that a state that allows a section of road to run at 85 mph should be the scene of such a devastating accident? Having been there numerous times while visiting relatives I have noticed the average driver doing about 10mph over the limit on a regular basis - that includes interstate where often drivers are doing 15+ over - and in large suv's/trucks that have some of the worst maneuverability/braking at speed when it comes to accident avoidance. Could say 'I told you so' or 'somethng like this was bound to happen' - but I won't - this time.
People do drive fast in TX but the speed limit on I-10 isn't 85mph. The 85mph speed limit is on a 41 mile stretch on the SH-130 toll road that recently opened. The toll road runs north-south & starts a bit south of Austin & ends at I-10 in Seguin.
JP from Ma - You must not travel very much. That is not limited to Texas. Try driving from Michigan to Florida via I-75 or anywhere along I-95. Most people drive 10-15 mph over the speed limit on interstates.
oneslackr, over in West Texas just East of El Paso I-10 is 85 mph for cars for a long way. The speed limit for trucks is 75 or 80 through there during Day Light Hours.
@6dogs
Actually if you Google for the info you will find that the speed limit in west TX on I-10 & I-20 is 80mph for passenger cars & trucks. The iihs (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) website also list this info.
The only place currently with an 85 mph speed limit is the new toll road SH-130. I live just southwest of Austin & a big deal was made a couple of weeks ago, including articles on this very site, about how SH-130 now has the highest speed limits in the nation at 85 mph.
Poor driving conditions require faster and more aggressive driving. Don't forget to text, drink, eat, use the phone, apply makeup, and be stoned while driving. Driving a 4,000 pound missle does not require you to concentrate on that task. Wrecker drivers, body shops, and undertakers need to earn a living.
31 deleted, dave m-2574610 smearing everyone in the state of Texas with the old Full Metal Jacket/An Officer and A Gentleman 'steers and queers' one-liner. Not a good comment.
You're suspended for a day for violating #5 of the Code of Honor.
Stupid people....STAY HOME!!
People are stupid and do not know how or refuse to adjust their driving to the road conditions! Period!
We had heavy fog here yesterday and at least half the cars did not have their lights on and they were driving way too fast. I'll bet the same thing happened in Texas.
A wipe lash if your looking left or right when you are impacted, can change your life for every!
Good luck to all!
How did Republicans ever get elected? Because, unlike Democrats like yourself, they can read and write. I think that you mean "whiplash" not "wipe lash". Also, you misspelled "your". It should be "you're", a contraction of you and are, not the possessive pronoun your. Do you really mean "every"? I think you meant to type "ever". That is three major errors in one sentence of only 19 words! Jeez!!!
See, no contest. Republicans can read, write, spell, use correct grammar, etc. Democrats have to have the government do it for them.
Recent goverment study concludes the farther you have your head up your azz the better you drive. See WGAF.com
It happened to me, I lost my abilty to sleep,or dream forever! Have to take medication to be able to sleep since.
I pray all effected are well and saftly with thier families soon! Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Spell-check...priceless.
There was an article posted the other day comparing traffic fatalities by state with how the population of each stated voted in the presidental election. The article attempted to draw a correlation with "red" voters against "blue" voters. Those states that voted "red" had the highest traffic fatalities, and "blue" the lowest!
The critera was % of drivers killed per 100,000. Most of the highest fatality states were southern. I read the article with much skepticism. But, you know, maybe its true! You can draw your conclusion. I have already drawn mine!!
Perhaps you should post a link to that article so that posters can read it for themselves rather than taking your word for it.
Here is link to article!
Strange correlation between vehicle collision fatalities and Red ...
beforeitsnews.com/.../strange-correlation-between-vehicle-collision-f
Everything's bigger in Texas.
Low iqmrednecks,,first they killed four vets ,now,this
Please seceded from the us
The Iq's are
Lower
Post a link to the reference from which you take your statement. Otherwise, it only something that you fabricated.
Everything's bigger in Tay-ux-us
The dummies in the red states are why America look dumb,,lmao
You want to see dummies? Look no further than blue state inner cities! Over 50% drop out of high school before 8th grade!! Illiteracy runs rampant in those cities, and most voted for Obama!
MRABILITY: You should really seek out the James Carville interview where he calls 80% of democrat voters stupid. I bet you fit nicely into that category.
Terrible.
The dumbing down ofmamerica,started down south,,the N.E is smarter
Pardon me? I live in the northeast and witness a lot of stupid, uneducated, ignorant idiots!!!
it is said that in fog, people tend to accelerate to attempt to get out fast from it and they also try to catch the car in front to have a sense of distance and locate their place in the line. all is done to stablish a safety line mentally. If you find the front runner, and the one behind you is luccky to find you and all the line connects, every one goes out of the fog safely; if people do not find the front-runner, they accelerate and end up in a very dangerous situation. Imagine a 20-30 speed or a 40-50 or above and suddenly a stationary object (front runner) opens up in front of you emerging from the fog. Pretty ugly moment. You know behing you there are a bunch more coming may be at higher speeds and will not stop until the cratching reaches the section of the highway where the fog allows driver to see and stop on time. Very bad situation.
Just a quick word of advice. Make sure when you are in slick or slow going weather conditions you disengage your speed control. I once hit a patch of black ice with speed control engaged. I was able to correct the first skid, but the speed control tried to speed up the car. Did a 360 and wound up in a ditch. Be careful out there and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Look at the vets that got killed,in tx this week,sad but those people are just dumb
Sad that can't structure a proper sentence. Speaking of dumb!!!
Same thing happened in Florida a last spring, with several deaths.
And they say NASCAR is not safe.
The USA Wll be blue soon as tx makes it official
The USA is doomed with blue!
Tx land of low wages and IQ's
Speaking of low IQ's, learn to form a proper sentence! Now you can go back to washing those dishes!
Having lived for a long time, fourteen different drivers licenses as I transferred around the US as a technical specialist, I found out years ago the worst drivers are usually the ones who believe themselves superior! I lived twenty-two years in Texas and except for the summer heat, it is a damn fine state. When employed at Raytheon in Taxachussettes, I saw far worse drivers there than anywhere else. Chicago was a close second.
Amen, woodysr. I travel on business all over the country and totally agree with you. Mass, DC, MD, NYC, and Chicago are by far the worst drivers I've encountered.
NYC,DC,Chicago,Parts of Pittsburgh,PA,get my vote as the worst places to drive.Baltimore is ,at least,in the top ten.
LOL.im from Chicago,and i have to say your right,we are one of the worst.But anywhere there is a big city(by the way you missed LA,Houston,Vegas)there is going to be alot of over eager people trying to get to work,and start there daily routine.I have seen icy roads and cars off to the shoulders with there hazzards on,and cars passing me up, blowing there horns.Then i would watch them bounce off the guard rails like a pinball.Just for some stupid reason,people are just more in a hurry in bigger cities,cant explain it,lol.
Being military we've traveled all over also, I have to say Davenport Iowa has the absolute worst drivers, and i never thought I'd find drivers worse than el paso texas!
Texans never could drive right specilly me
As opposed to driving left?