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 at about 3:30 a.m. near 820 and Marine Creek Parkway when a family of four in a Ford Focus was headed eastbound in the westbound lanes and collided with a pickup truck head-on.
Fort Worth police said that the car burst into flames after the collision, killing the man, woman, and two children inside. A woman in the pickup was also killed in the crash. Her fiancé survived with broken bones.
Investigators said the man is still in the hospital, and they are waiting to speak with him about the crash.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
“This is a sad day,” said Tracy Carter, public information officer with the Fort Worth Police Department. “We’re seeing this far too many times.”
Police said they haven’t determined why the car was driving on the wrong side of the road or whether 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 drunken driver who was going the wrong way on Interstate 35W.
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 crash 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.”
