Big Rig Crash Closes North Texas Interstate
CARROLLTON (CBSDFW.COM) - A crash involving a car and an 18-wheeler shut down Interstate-35E in Carrollton on Tuesday morning, creating a major headache for commuters trying to get to work.
The crash happened just before 2:00 a.m. in the northbound lanes of the freeway, near the intersection of Whitlock Parkway. Officials with the Carrollton Police Department explained that the big rig clipped the back end of the car and then flipped, spilling its load of oil drilling pipes onto the freeway and the service road.
Officers were forced to shut down traffic in both directions of the interstate in order to clean up the mess. The southbound side of the highway was opened to traffic again just after 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday. The northbound side opened about four hours later.
The pipes were long, made of steel, and extremely heavy. Special equipment had to be brought to the scene in order to move the pipes around and out of the way. Several dozen were scattered across the road. The crash also caused damage to a guard rail, and resulted in a fuel leak. Frigid temperatures on Tuesday morning allowed that fuel to freeze onto the roadway, making cleanup efforts even more difficult.
A spokesperson with the Carrollton Police Department said that two people were hurt during the crash, but their injuries were not life threatening.
There has been no word on whether or not the driver of the 18-wheeler will face any charges.
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