ARLINGTON — Workers spent hours cleaning up after a massive, nine-vehicle pile-up on Interstate 30 in Arlington Sunday morning.
An 18-wheeler carrying tons of hot dogs slid on the icy highway at 6:30 a.m. and toppled onto a pickup truck, killing a man inside. The victim's name was not available.
Police said at least five others were injured in the chain-reaction wreck, which also involved another 18-wheeler.
"The semi with the red tractor came up on the accident scene and was unable to avoid all the cars across the roadway," said Arlington police Sgt. Kevin Brown.
All lanes of an overpass just east of the accident location at Fielder Road were covered in ice; investigators believe that's what triggered the accidents.
While this was the biggest, it certainly wasn't the only accident in North Texas blamed on the unusual spring weather.
Two taxis spun out of control on North Central Expressway in Dallas. "A car jumped out in front of me and I lost it," one driver said. "I lost it, out of control!"
As police cleared that wreckage, a motorcyclist skidded out of control nearby.
Sand trucks weren't enough in some areas; police simply had to shut down roads and highways.
The ice forced the closure of a 20-mile stretch of Interstate 30 from Dallas to Arlington.
"It surprises me, surprises me," said motorist Rita Duncan. "I didn't think we had that much ice last night."
E-mail jbetz@wfaa.com
