A deadly chain-reaction crash on Interstate 35W in Fort Worth claimed at least one life in the early morning hours Friday after a person who stopped to assist crash victims was struck and killed by a passing vehicle.
Fort Worth police responded around 2:30 a.m. to the 4700 block of South Freeway following reports of a major accident just north of Interstate 20. Officers from the South Division arrived to find a scene involving multiple vehicles and at least one fatality.
According to a preliminary investigation by police a collision had already occurred on the highway when a separate motorist pulled over to render aid to those involved in the initial crash. While attempting to help the victims that individual was struck by another vehicle traveling through the area and died at the scene.
The identity of the victim has not yet been released as authorities continue their investigation. It remains unclear how many people were involved in the original accident or whether any of those individuals sustained injuries.
The incident forced the closure of both northbound and southbound lanes of I-35W in the area for several hours disrupting early morning traffic throughout the southern Fort Worth corridor. The extent of the closures caused significant delays for commuters traveling through one of the region’s most heavily used highway stretches.
Authorities have not released information on the driver who struck the Good Samaritan or whether any charges are expected. The investigation remains active and ongoing.