6 people died in I-35W pileup. We need answers on ice treatment, road design and more
When a tragedy such as the horrific chain-reaction crash on Interstate 35W strikes, there’s a temptation to chalk it up to fate, accidents and nature. Casting blame strikes many as inappropriate.
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price said as much at the end of what she rightly called a heartbreaking day. “Let’s not think about the blame game,” Price said.
When freezing rain strikes the Dallas-Fort Worth area, car crashes are indeed inevitable. But six deaths and dozens of injuries demand a thorough investigation.
Whether there’s blame to assign to specific agencies or people remains to be seen. But at a minimum, everything from weather procedures to road design could be improved by a vigorous effort to understand what went wrong.
If there are ways to prevent or mitigate future accidents like this one, we need to know.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHey, who writes these editorials?
Editorials are the positions of the Editorial Board, which serves as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s institutional voice. The members of the board are: Cynthia M. Allen, columnist; Steve Coffman, editor and president; Bud Kennedy, columnist; Ryan J. Rusak, opinion editor; and Nicole Russell, editorial writer and columnist. Most editorials are written by Rusak or Russell. Editorials are unsigned because they represent the board’s consensus positions, not the views of individual writers.
Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.
How are topics and positions chosen?
The Editorial Board meets regularly to discuss issues in the news and what points should be made in editorials. We strive to build a consensus to produce the strongest editorials possible, but when we differ, we put matters to a vote.
The board aims to be consistent with stances it has taken in the past but usually engages in a fresh discussion based on new developments and different perspectives.
We focus on local and state news, though we will also weigh in on national issues with an eye toward their impact on Texas or the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
How are these different from news articles or signed columns?
News reporters strive to keep their opinions out of what they write. They have no input on the Editorial Board’s stances. The board consults their reporting and expertise but does its own research for editorials.
Signed columns by writers such as Allen, Kennedy and Rusak contain the writer’s personal opinions.
How can I respond to an editorial, suggest a topic or ask a question?
We invite readers to write letters to be considered for publication. The preferred method is an email to letters@star-telegram.com. To suggest a topic or ask a question, please email Rusak directly at rrusak@star-telegram.com.
Most urgently, we need information on exactly what happened with ice treatments to the road. A spokesman for North Tarrant Express Mobility Partners, the public-private consortium that runs the tolled express lanes where the pileup occurred, said that its roads were treated in advance of the freeze and that further spot treatments were applied.
But plenty of eyewitnesses have indicated the road was dangerously slick. First responders said they needed sand brought in so they could safely work. And indeed, any of the stunning videos of the crash shows that brakes were useless on the icy surface.
It may be that the NTExpress needed to use different or more thorough treatment. Perhaps, because of the design of those lanes and the tendency for drivers to speed (after all, they’re called express lanes), they need particular attention during a storm — or maybe, in conditions bad enough — to be closed. That’s the kind of thing a thorough investigation can tell us, and let’s hope the federal National Transportation Safety Board brings its considerable expertise to it.
Speaking of the coalition that runs the road, where were its leaders on Thursday? Why didn’t its leadership participate in Price’s news conference with the fire and police chiefs? Did anyone meet any of those who were hurt or families of those killed to offer condolences? There are a few agencies and companies involved; no one could send a representative?
It’s also worth re-examining whether, in future road design, it makes sense to build lanes without shoulders. Space to expand an aged highway is at a premium, but we saw Thursday what happens when drivers have nowhere to go but into a twisted pile of vehicles. And this stretch of road just north of downtown is known to be congested and dangerous, even in good weather.
While these questions must be addressed, we should also take a moment to honor the incredibly brave and resilient emergency workers who had to deal with the crash for more than a day in bitter cold. Just to get to the site to help was a challenge, and the triage efforts needed surely tested even the most veteran firefighters, police officers and EMTs. Their fortitude in the face of such a tragedy is inspiring.
It’s especially heartbreaking, too, how many healthcare workers were among the victims. Many were headed to early-morning shifts, and many have no doubt been stretched and stressed by the increased demands borne of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The weekend appears to be bringing even worse weather, stinging cold and perhaps several inches of snow. The danger for crashes and the risk to first responders will be high.
Let’s all do our part to ease the burden by keeping off the roads unless absolutely necessary. We’re all tired of hearing it after nearly a year of the pandemic, but who wants to be out in single-digit cold anyway?
For the sake of those whose job it is to protect and help us, stay home.