In one of the worst traffic disasters in Texas history, a stretch of Interstate 35W in Fort Worth turned into a mangled nightmare of twisted metal and shattered glass after over 130 vehicles slammed into each other on a sheet of black ice.
The chaos erupted early on a freezing morning when drivers suddenly hit an icy patch that turned the highway into a death trap. What followed was nothing short of carnage: tractor-trailers ploughed into cars at full speed, SUVs stacked on top of sedans, and first responders fought their way through a wall of wreckage stretching nearly a mile.
By the time the scene was cleared, six people had tragically lost their lives and at least 65 more were rushed to hospitals with everything from broken bones to life-threatening injuries. Witnesses described the crash as “a war zone” — with the screech of metal, blaring horns, and desperate screams echoing through the freezing air.
One survivor recalled crawling out of their crumpled car in shock, saying: “You couldn’t even tell where one vehicle ended and the next began. It was just destruction everywhere.”
Emergency crews worked for hours in brutal conditions to free trapped drivers, using hydraulic cutters to peel open crushed doors. Medical tents were set up on the roadside as paramedics treated dozens of victims on the spot.
The pile-up sparked outrage across the state, with many asking why such a major interstate hadn’t been pre-treated for ice despite the dangerous weather forecast. Officials later admitted the roads were “like glass” that morning, fueling anger from survivors and grieving families.
The I-35W crash will go down as one of the largest and most devastating pile-ups in American history — a chilling reminder of how just seconds on the road can change hundreds of lives forever.
