Glen E. Ellman/Fort Worth Fire Department on Twitter
Icy roads led to a deadly wreck on Interstate 35 West at 28th Street early Thursday morning — a pileup that involved over 100 vehicles, resulting in at least six deaths and dozens injured.
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, fire chief Jim Davis, and police chief Neil Noakes addressed the incident in a press conference Thursday afternoon at the Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex.
"This is an incredibly difficult day for the city of Fort Worth," Price said. "My heart is broken for this community as we deal with the tragic loss."
During the press conference, Davis confirmed six fatalities, while Noakes said about 133 cars were involved (number not yet final). Thirty-six people were transported from the scene to the hospital, and a total of 65 people are being treated at area hospitals for injuries. Matt Zavadsky, chief strategic integration officer at MedStar, added that at least three patients were in critical condition. All victims were adults.
"This is an incident that our agencies train for but hope and pray never happens," Zavadsky said.
Davis said 911 calls about the accident began flooding in just after 6 a.m. First responders arrived on the scene shortly after to rescue those trapped within their vehicles, and later, the scene turned over to the Fort Worth Police Department for investigation.
Price urged Fort Worthians to "not think about the blame game" but to "check on your neighbors" and keep an eye on the City of Fort Worth's social media pages for updates on ways to help victims.
Noakes, too, expressed condolences to the families who lost loved ones and encouraged the Fort Worth community to show support.
"This is a tragic day for the Fort Worth family overall," he said, "but as we always do, we will get through this."
