Video Captures Out-of-Control Semi Truck Careening Into Roadside Rescue Crews
The big rig was caught off guard by a pileup in foggy Texas, resulting in the movie-like collision.
Drivers on a Texas highway found themselves in a nightmare scenario earlier this week, as heavy fog and human error combined to cause a dramatic multi-vehicle crash. The carnage was caught on camera, and it ended with an 18-wheeler barreling sideways out of the fog toward first responders and news crews.
The situation escalated rapidly as more and more motorists were caught off guard in the fog. What started as a two-car collision quickly turned into much more when a semi-truck driver lost control and slid into the median nearby, causing two other vehicles to crash into it. This led a second semi to jackknife and slide off the road as its driver tried to avoid another vehicle in front of it.
Although this footage looks like something out of a shocking horror movie, there have thankfully been no reports of life-threatening injuries. One state police officer seen running out of frame was hit and a pickup truck driver was pinned under the trailer as it came to a rest, but both were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and are expected to recover.
As bad as fog can get, it’s usually only part of the equation when it comes to wrecks like these. While motorists can be affected by poor road conditions for a number of reasons, many of the pileups we see are caused by drivers traveling too fast for the weather—or their skillset—and people rubbernecking to look at the action.
Experts say that driving at normal speeds in foggy weather is a major cause of accidents like these, because visibility can often be reduced to near-zero. It may also be tempting to use high beam headlights, but the brighter and more direct lighting can reflect off the water in fog and make it harder to see in front of the vehicle. Finally, don’t trust other drivers to safely navigate fog. Using the taillights of the vehicle in front of yours can lead you into trouble if the other person isn’t on top of the conditions.
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