18-Wheeler Crash Shuts Down Parts Of Interstate-20
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GRAND PRAIRIE (CBSDFW.COM) - An accident that happened around 2:30 Friday morning was still causing major traffic headaches for drivers along Interstate-20 in Grand Prairie at lunchtime. Hours after the multi-vehicle crash, that involved an 18-wheeler, pars of the highway remained closed.
The crash - near State highway 161 - left cars dented and damaged and snapped apart an 18-wheeler. The cab of the semi was left dozens of feet from it's trailer -- the axles broken.
No one was seriously injured in the crash.
The mangled tractor trailer and vehicles along the highway caused police to shutdown all east and westbound lanes for several hours. By 6:30 a.m. a tow truck had righted the cab of the semi and officials had reopened the eastbound lanes, but all westbound lanes remained closed.
The closure meant drivers had to take a lot of time for what are typically very commutes. "Normally it would take me about 10, 15, maybe 20 minutes," frustrated driver Christopher Hayes said. "But today it took me 40, 45 minutes because I had to go around Loop 12 basically and then come back up through Grand Prairie, through the back roads, just to get up here."
The accident happened on the westbound side of the highway and when the 18-wheeler crashed the cab portion broke off and the force sent the trailer of the rig across I-20, through the concrete barrier, and into the westbound lanes. At lunchtime crews were repairing some of that concrete barricade.
Just before noon emergency crews were able to get the cab loaded on a flatbed, remove portions of the concrete barricade, and clean up fuel and fluids that had spilled onto the road. But the biggest headache - the trailer blocking all four lanes of westbound traffic - remained.
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The trailer was loaded with dairy products and will have to have all of the cargo removed. A front-end loader was used to reach into the top, where there's a gaping hole, and remove the food inside.
Just before noon a large tow truck sat at the scene, waiting to move the ruptured trailer. It was towed away just before 1 p.m. and shortly after police reopened all westbound lanes of the highway.
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