Thick fog caused a massive pileup on a highway in Austin, Texas on New Year’s Day.
More than 50 people were evaluated by paramedics and nine were taken to hospitals after multiple collisions along State Highway 130, according to CBS DFW. The Austin Police Department said between 20 to 30 vehicles were involved in wrecks near Harold Green Road. The accident happened on January 1 before 1:30 a.m. as thick fog covered the highway.
The horrific moments were captured by a dashcam mounted on a car that managed to avoid hitting the vehicles that were piled up on the highway due to the thick fog. However, the driver didn’t manage to avoid getting struck from behind, and the footage shows that the force of the impact was really big.
There is dense fog in some parts of Austin making it hard to see when you are driving! Be safe on the road, slow down, drive with caution. If you’ve been drinking, do not get behind the wheel! #ATXtraffic https://t.co/dHu5k9sG7c
— Austin Police Dept (@Austin_Police) January 1, 2019
As they entered dense fog, the cammer turned on the hazard lights and started to apply the brakes. Fortunately, they slowed down just in time to avoid crashing into the stationary cars right in front of them. However, they didn’t have the time to move to the right as another car smashed into them from behind. As usual, it’s not enough for you to drive safely and be prudent – the other road users should do the same, or you might get caught in an accident.
According to meteorologists, the “super fog” led to extremely low visibility in low lying areas. Smoke from fireworks is said to have helped the fog formation, leading to visibility of under 10 feet (3 meters), a really rare phenomenon in Texas.
The mess left behind by the pileup was so big that it took crews all night to clean up the wreckage. All lanes of the highway reopened by 9 a.m. on January 1.