FORT WORTH (WBAP/KLIF)- A deadly crash on I-35W Thursday morning in Fort Worth left 6 people dead and at least 65 people were treated at hospitals.
Officials say 133 cars were involved in the pile-up and it was caused by icy road conditions. State Representative Ramon Romero who oversees the district of where the accident occurred, is questioning if that road was treated properly prior to the accident.
“Was there error in the design or in the maintenance?,” said Romero.
A spokesperson for North Tarrant Express Mobility Partners, who manages that section, said the company had taken steps to keep ice off the roads and will continue to treat highways throughout the weekend. However, MedStar and Fort Worth Fire Crews did mention they needed to put down their own salt and sand to prevent slipping when they were on scene rescuing victims.
Romero said he has asked the chairs of both the House Committee and the Senate Committee to launch an investigation.
“This is a brand new highway that was built to alleviate congestion along I-35, and in less than 2 years we already have this type of occurrence,” said Romero. “You have to ask yourself…how did this occur?,” he said.
Romero said he’s looking forward to determining how something like this can be prevented in the future.
“We know when you treat for ice, some areas may be treated differently, in this scenario we have a roadway with a concrete barrier on both sides, and that’s what traps so many people in. So how did this private entity treat that section of roadway?,” he said.
Romero said the goal is to continue to work with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and have the mobility partners come into the House and Senate Chambers to get some answers on how they did or did not de-ice those roadways and look for ways to improve designs moving forward. “Could we simply say that because there’s barriers on both sides, maybe cars shouldn’t be allowed on those managed tollways during inclement weather?,” he said.
Romero emphasizes that he is not wanting to blame anyone.
“My responsibility is to be in the pursuit of the best public policy,” he said. “We want to make sure all state agencies are on the same team with the first priority of making sure people traveling Texas roadways are as safe as possible and if they’re not, make those changes so they are safe,” he said.
