5 dead, 9 injured after rollover crash in Wise County
ALVORD – A fifth person has died after a single-vehicle crash Wednesday on U.S. 287 near FM 1655, Texas State Troopers said. Investigators said only one of the 14 people inside the van was wearing a seatbelt.
Alvord is about 45 miles northwest of Fort Worth.
The accident happened just before 8 a.m. Wednesday. Three medical helicopters and several ambulances responded, transporting 11 people to various hospitals.
Investigators on the scene said the severity of injuries ranged from the walking wounded to critical condition.
A Facebook video shared with CBS News Texas showed a heavily damaged white passenger van on a grassy shoulder off the highway. Numerous law enforcement officers could be seen standing near what appeared to be multiple bodies on the ground. There were also visible tire marks leading from the roadway to the shoulder.
U.S. 287 was back to normal Wednesday afternoon, but it was shut down for more than three hours while the crash was under investigation.
"Then we drove by, and then I saw the car. It looked like it hit the tree, then I saw the skid marks on the road, and then I saw everybody," said Paige Caffrey, who drove past the crash on her way to work.
Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Tony De La Cerda said the 15-passenger Chevy Express 3500 has Florida license plates, although investigators don't yet know where it was traveling to.
"The vehicle left the roadway, the driver overcorrected, causing it to lose control of the vehicle, which caused the vehicle to roll over multiple times," De La Cerda said.
De La Cerda said 13 of the 14 people in the van were ejected.
"Just seeing all those people on the road, on the grass, that is very difficult because we have to be able to keep our composure and treat every single one," De La Cerda said.
In addition to the three who died on-scene and two who later died at the hospital, helicopters took three people to local hospitals in critical condition, and eight passengers went to hospitals via ambulances.
"One person was wearing their seat belt, and they were able to walk away," De La Cerda said. "If everybody were wearing their seat belt, I do know there could be more people who are with us right now."
Caffrey is still shaken by what she saw.
"I'm sad and anxious because you never know when it'll be your last day with your loved ones," Caffrey said. "It runs through your mind. I just wish everyone would be careful and stop driving so crazy."
The investigation is ongoing.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
