Crash Closes PGBT In Both Directions In Grand Prairie
GRAND PRAIRIE (CBSDFW.COM) - Both directions of the President George Bush Turnpike in Grand Prairie were closed on Monday morning after a crash involving two cars and a big rig. The incident happened shortly after 8:00 a.m. near Pioneer Parkway.
According to Lonny Haschel with the Texas Department of Public Safety, a red car was heading south along the highway when the driver attempted to take the Pioneer Parkway exit ramp. However, the red vehicle slammed into the impact attenuator and bounced back into traffic.
The red car then struck a big rig, and the big rig ran into a white car that was also heading southbound. That white car came to a rest upside down in the highway's median The 18-wheeler's trailer was also in the grass, with the cab hopped over the median divider and into the northbound side of the roadway. The front end of the red car was smashed in and the vehicle sat across two lanes. The incident left debris scattered across the highway.
One person inside of the red car was seriously injured and transported to a nearby trauma center. The driver of the big rig was not seriously injured. There has been no word about the condition of the white car's driver. Officials have not identified any of the people involved in this incident.
Authorities were forced to shut down both directions of the turnpike in order to conduct a full investigation and sweep up the mess. There has been no estimate for when the road will open back up to regular traffic, but a statement from the North Texas Tollway Authority said that delays would last "well into midday." Check the traffic map for updates.
