Five of the six victims of the massive pile on a northern highway in Texas were identified Friday as the icy rains that contributed to the crushing in the South and Mid-Atlantic area fell, threatening weekend trips and Monday’s commute .
The Tarrant County medical examiner identified four of the five victims from Texas: Tiffany Louann Gerred, 34, of Northlake; Aaron Luke Watson, 45, of Fort Worth; Christopher Ray Vardy (49) of Boyd; and Michael Henry Wells (47) of Justin. The fifth, William Darrell Williams, 54, was from Pahoa, Hawaii.
The exact cause of the 135 car crash Thursday on Interstate 35 in Fort Worth is still being investigated.
By Monday morning, commuters as far south as west and west of Houston – north and east toward Shreveport, Louisiana, Nashville, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and New York – could forecast similar conditions leading to Thursday’s crash in Fort Worth.
Over the weekend, hailstorms can be dangerous in Richmond, Virginia, Washington, DC and Baltimore, though slightly warmer temperatures and lighter rainfall on Monday morning could help ease conditions in some of these cities.
Transportation officials across the region are hoping to avoid a repeat of Thursday’s congestion in Fort Worth, where tractor trailers had cars.
‘It was really icy out there (I slipped about 100 feet and then hit the wall). “A few semis came and were plowed by a lot of people,” motorist Blake Diebel told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth. “Feels happy and my head hurts, so we’re going to investigate.”
Diebel’s parents rushed to the scene from Denton after hearing about the stack, and his mother, Joni Diebel, harassed the median on the highway to hug her son.
“The worst, helpless feeling ever,” Joni Diebel said just before the emotional reunion on the highway. “When he left this morning, I had a bad feeling. I do not know why.”
Shamar Walters and Bianca Britton contributed.