Exclusive: Missteps led to 2021 pileup

Catastrophic Fort Worth crash investigation reveals new details. THE BIG STORY [A woman holds a white poster with black writing reading ''Stand against Domestic Violence #JusticeForCory'' on it.]( Fort Worth first responders work the scene of crushed vehicles and semi trucks following an icy pileup in the southbound TEXpress lanes of Interstate 35 in Fort Worth, Thursday, February 11, 2021. (Lawrence Jenkins / Special Contributor) [Exclusive: Report finds lack of oversight, missteps led to fatal 2021 Fort Worth pileup involving 130 vehicles]( Warning: this story contains video, images and descriptions that may be disturbing for some readers. On a bone-cold Thursday, early morning commuters took to the southbound lanes of I-35W. At 6:05 a.m., Suzette Kilbreath passed the 28th Street bridge to make it to her job at a hospital in Fort Worth. Her SUV came upon a small hill, and that’s when it happened. She felt her SUV wiggle. She tapped the brakes, slowed down, and it turned sideways and began to slide. She hit something – likely a concrete barrier – and stopped. But the worst was still to come. Six people died in the 130-car pileup as vehicles slid on black ice that had formed after 36 hours of freezing temperatures. Three years after the crash, a review by The Dallas Morning News shows that decisions made by the private toll operator, North Tarrant Express Mobility Partners, contributed to the catastrophic crash. The [reporting also reveals a lack of oversight]( by TxDOT of private toll operators – an issue that also was previously raised in “Toll Trap,” The News’ ongoing year-long investigation into the state’s toll roads. [READ MORE]( Related: - Three years after deadly pileup in Fort Worth, [families push for accountability]( - Where are Texas’ private toll roads and [how much did they cost](? [The Dallas Morning News]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [X (formerly Twitter)]( [YouTube]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Account Login]( | [Help Center]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Terms of Service]( [Manage Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( ©2024 The Dallas Morning News • 1954 Commerce St. • Dallas, TX 75201