Just when you think you’ve seen every possible way drivers can cause traffic chaos and crashes, something like the LBJ wrong way driving debacle takes you by surprise. Our I-635 accident injury attorneys note that reports are still trying to sort out all the details of what happened, but it appears that a driver weaving through traffic caused an initial injury accident which left one car crashed into a concrete divider and at least one vehicle overturned.
Then, as frequently happens, secondary accidents began to accrete onto the initial pileup. Emergency response teams added to the group of stopped vehicles and police began to block the lanes to begin to investigate and clear the accident. The pileup happened at LBJ Freeway (I-635) near Audelia and Skillman. The accident site was near an ill-starred roughly star-shaped intersection that is difficult to navigate at the best of times. But it doesn’t appear that this particular intersection contributed to the multiple crashes, at least 8 of them. Rather, it was simply bad driving.
Driving Dangerously to avoid Delay leads to… Even More Delay
Busy folk couldn’t wait for the traffic to clear; they had to be on about their business. So one driver after another began making U-turns on busy LBJ Freeway until a traffic images made it appear that vehicles’ directions had all been set on random. The I-635 accident injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC were startled to see drivers trying to exit the freeway by blocked entrance ramps.
One report says a well-intentioned police officer facilitated this mess. But it may be that the officer, if he or she even did direct traffic the wrong way, was only trying to deal with the inevitable, avoid further wrecks, and bring order to chaos as drivers insisted on trying to drive the wrong way down I-635.
Even more alarming, people got out of their cars and were standing around on the freeway in the midst of this bumper car free-for-all. We’ve written before regarding tragic accidents where later drivers happening onto initial accident sites tragically ran down emergency responders, Good Samaritans, and accident victims.
Dallas takes the Title of Most Dangerous Driving City to Heart
About a year ago, we posted an article about a nationwide survey that found that Dallas had the craziest drivers. At the time, we still felt that Boston, L.A., and Houston really should have headed that list. But now we begin to see the light. Dallas drivers today were insistent about claiming that top spot on the crazy driving list. (Readers: you’ve been duly cautioned. Should you visit Dallas, drive very carefully. Here in Big D, we do things our own way.)
Our I-635 accident injury attorneys point out that traffic signs, including direction signs, exist for a reason: so that drivers don’t take it upon themselves to randomly turn their vehicles against oncoming traffic and potentially cause a crash. We’ve posted extensively about the dangers of wrong way driving. Apparently in vain.
Wrong Way Driving is the Cause of Some of the Most Deadly Accidents on the Road
Wrong-way, head-on crashes remain a deadly threat on the highways, causing more than their share of severe injuries and fatalities. Alcohol-impaired drivers cause about 60% of wrong way crashes. But as today’s circus and random traffic carousel (we might call it a Merry-Go-Wrong) on LBJ reveals, alcohol impairment is not necessary to cause a wrong-way crash. Impaired judgment will do the trick quite nicely.
Because of an initial bad driver and the impulsive reaction of impatient drivers who made their U-turns on a busy freeway, many people are now left with needless injuries, stress, and fear, and damaged or totaled vehicles. Not to mention major disruptions in their lives. But at least it appears that what the Dallas Observer called a “Trafficpocalypse” seriously injured no one.
Arm Yourself with the Knowledge You’ll need to Face Dallas Traffic
Download our FREE report that guides you through the essential steps to take after a serious accident. Your free guide from the I-635 accident injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC could get you started on the process of building a successful injury claim after a reckless driver has harmed you.