NTSB: Crews failed to de-ice road before massive Texas crash
Federal officials say that the company responsible for maintaining a Texas interstate where 130 vehicles crashed in icy conditions two years ago, killing six, failed to address the deteriorating road conditions
DALLAS (AP) — The company responsible for maintaining a Texas interstate where 130 vehicles crashed in icy conditions two years ago, killing six and injuring dozens, failed to address the deteriorating road conditions, federal officials said Thursday.
That portion of Interstate 35 West in Fort Worth was not treated with salt the morning of the Feb. 11, 2021, crash, the National Transportation Safety Board said. The NTSB said that the failure of North Tarrant Express Mobility Partners Segment 3 to address the conditions contributed to the crash, as did drivers' speeds.
The NTSB said that because of the forecasted freezing rain and sleet, North Tarrant Express Mobility Partners Segment 3 had pretreated the southbound lanes of I-35W two days earlier with a liquid brine solution. But, the NTSB said, with precipitation and freezing temperatures continuing, crews checking the road about 45 minutes before the crash didn't recognize that the elevated portion of the interstate where the crash occurred needed additional de-icing treatment.
Before the crash, the area experienced 36 consecutive hours of below-freezing temperatures. On the morning of the crash, crews had spot-treated sections of the interstate with salt but not the portion where the wreck happened, the NTSB said. The agency said that the crews visually checking the road 45 minutes before the wreck didn’t detect any moisture and applied no salt.
