Thursday got off to rocky start for commuters near Houston when a mixture of fog and smoke lowered visibility, resulting in a 50+ vehicle accident on eastbound Texas Highway 73.
Citing recent wildfires, troopers said smoke blanketed the freeway this morning – adding to the thick fog already present. While westbound traffic was moving slowly in response to the low visibility, the eastbound lanes had vehicles moving at speeds near 70 mph. The first accident caused a chain reaction which left over 50 people with injuries ranging from broken bones to abrasions to a heart attack. Thankfully, it appears no lives were lost in this pile up.
DFW residents may be reminded of a similar accident that occurred on I-20 last April. In that instance, the setting sun intersected with post-rain mist, causing a sudden glare to blind drivers in Arlington. The resulting pile up snarled traffic on the popular freeway during rush hour.
In today’s accident, over “plenty of citations” have been issued by troopers to drivers who contributed to the wreck by driving unsafely. Low visibility requires an adjustment in our driving patterns and ignoring that puts people in danger. It’s one reason why each and every car wreck attorney encourage accident victims to have their cases reviewed before settling with an insurance firm. Insurance companies sometimes try to throw their hands in their air and claim that accidents can’t be avoided when weather is a factor. The law says otherwise.
Drive safely, Dallas (and Houston!)
