Heartbreaking details of a wrong-way crash that killed five people early Sunday morning in Fort Worth. NBC 5’s Keenan Willard spoke with investigators who say these devastating wrong-way crashes must stop.
Five people are dead after a fiery wrong-way crash on Loop 820 in Fort Worth early Sunday morning, Fort Worth police say.
Investigators said the crash happened around 3:30 a.m. near 820 and Marine Creek Parkway.
NBC 5 has learned that a family of four died in this wreck after their car collided with a pickup truck head-on, killing a woman inside.
“This is a sad day,” said Tracy Carter, Public Information Officer with Fort Worth PD. “And we’re seeing this far too many times.”
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
Police said the incident was caused by a sedan traveling east in the freeway's westbound lanes early this morning.
“Entered traffic, collided with what appeared to be a pickup truck,” said Carter. “As they collided head-on, the car burst into flames.”
Police said inside the Ford Focus that caused the crash was a family of four: a man, a woman, and two children. All of them were killed in the collision.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
Inside the truck the sedan crashed into, police said a woman was killed, and her fiancé survived with broken bones.
Investigators said the man had already left the hospital and were waiting to speak with him about the incident.
“Six passengers and one survived; this is, you can imagine what he’s going through,” said Carter.
Police said they haven’t determined why the car was driving incorrectly or if alcohol was involved.
Officers said wrong-way crashes like this one could feel personal after recent events in Fort Worth.
“For officers, we lost a sergeant to this instance,” said Carter.
In August, Fort Worth police sergeant Billy Randolph was killed by a suspected drunk driver who was going the wrong way on I-35.
Investigators said drivers on the road late at night could protect themselves against wrong-way crashes by keeping their eyes on the horizon and staying in the far-right lane.
If you do encounter a wrong-way car, flash it with high beams and pull over if possible.
“You could save your life and you could possibly save their life,” said Carter.
Police haven’t released the names of those involved in the fatal crash. They hope to learn more about what caused the wreck in the days ahead.
“We’re praying for the families, I want to make sure we get that out there,” said Carter. “We’re praying for all the medical personnel and the officers that responded, because this was a horrific scene.”
