Two dead, up to 120 hurt in massive pileup on foggy Texas highway

Two dead, up to 120 hurt in massive pileup on foggy Texas highway Thu, Nov 22 16:36 PM EST 1 of 7 (Reuters) - A high-speed pileup of up to 150 vehicles on a fog-bound Texas interstate killed at least two people on Thursday and injured up to 120, a sheriff's spokesman said. The chain reaction of collisions shut down Interstate 10 about 15 miles west of Beaumont for several hours, said Deputy Rod Carroll of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. "We have 18-wheelers on top of cars, we have cars on top of cars. It's just catastrophic," he said, adding that rescuers were still looking for victims. Two bodies were found underneath a tractor-trailer, he said. Eighty to 120 people had been taken to hospitals, and eight to 10 of them were seriously hurt, Carroll said. He said the initial accidents took place separately about a mile apart on the east- and westbound sides of the interstate. The highway had been crowded with motorists traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday. Many of the vehicles were moving close to the posted speed of 70 mph despite dense fog that limited visibility, Carroll said. The westbound lane of the interstate has been reopened, he said. (Reporting by Ian Simpson in Wasington; Editing by Sandra Maler) ================ Massive pileup shuts Texas interstate The Texas Department of Public Safety says at least 35 people have been injured in a more than 50-vehicle pileup. Autoplay OnOff Video feedback Video settings More video Recommended Click to play video Both sides declare victory after the ceasefire Click to play video Opera boss to talk helm at BBC Click to play video Spain's Catalonians flag independence Click to play video Rebels gain ground in Syria Click to play video US troops celebrate thanksgiving in Afghanistan .Replay video Two people have died and dozens have been hurt when at least 100 vehicles collided on a Texas highway in dense fog, leaving trucks twisted on top of each other and authorities rushing to pull survivors from the wreckage. ‘‘It is catastrophic,’’ said Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputy Rod Carroll. ‘‘I’ve got cars on top of cars.’’ The Thanksgiving holiday morning crash happened on Interstate 10 about 128 kilometres east of Houston.At least 51 people had been taken to area hospitals, and at least eight were critically hurt, officials at Acadian Ambulance service told KFDM-TV. The aftermath of the crashes. Photo: Reuters It wasn’t immediately clear how the pile-up began, but Mr Carroll said the fog was so thick officers didn’t immediately realise they were dealing with multiple accidents. Advertisement A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper, Stephanie Davis, told KFDM two people in an 4WD died after the crash. She said at least 100 cars and trucks were involved in the accident. Mr Carroll said uninjured drivers tried to help as authorities sorted through the wreckage.‘‘It’s just people helping people,’’ Mr Carroll said. ‘‘The foremost thing in this holiday season is how other travellers were helping us when we were overwhelmed, sitting and holding, putting pressure on people that were injured.’’ Horror crash ... cars and trucks piled on Interstate 10. Photo: AP Associated Press Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/ive-got-cars-on-top-of-cars-two-dead-in-huge-pileup-20121123-29tq4.html#ixzz2CzeR5OFa