Multi-Vehicle Crash in Fort Worth Leaves 4 Dead

Four people were killed and nine were transported to the hospital after a multi-vehicle crash in Fort Worth late Saturday night.

Terry Grisham, with the Tarrant County Sheriff's Department, said emergency crews were called to the scene at 11:59 p.m.  When they arrived in the 1500 block of Burleson-Retta Road, they discovered four people had already died at the scene.

This is not just a tragic crash along a dark, rural two-lane road, it's a crime scene. 

"We have unfortunately found some evidence at the scene that alcohol may have played a role in this accident, however we are not sure who was in what car," said Terry Grisham, executive administrator of the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department.

Daylight revealed just how powerful the impact was, three vehicles destroyed including a pick-up truck. Police said people were inside the cab of the pick-up and also in the bed of the vehicle.

Thomas Ward lives about 100 yards from where the collision happened. He did not witness the crash but came outside and talked to people after his wife called saying she couldn’t get home because the road was shut down.

"Somebody had ran off in a ditch," said Ward. "The neighbor two doors down came out to try to help them and I guess some other people stopped and while they were stopped somebody came in at a pretty high rate of speed and ran into that car."

Witnesses said a mother and daughter were the ones out trying to help when they were struck and killed. The Tarrant County Sheriff's Department confirms Fort Worth police picked up one person from the crash walking around about a half mile from the scene.

"He was injured and taken to a hospital," said Grisham. "However we have sent deputies to the hospital to get his statement and we've also interviewed all the occupants of the truck that we can identify."

NBC 5 talked to two homeowners who said they'd never seen a major crash along their stretch of road before this.

"I know that kind of stuff happens," said Ward. "Hopefully this is the only one I'll ever see while I'm around here, but it's a pretty bad situation and you feel for the families and the people connected to this thing."

Investigators on the scene for nearly 10 hours reconstructed the crash measurements twice - once in the dark and once in the daytime. Police in a helicopter got pictures from the air to help with the investigation which will take some time.

Another nine patients were taken to different hospitals, including two victims who were transported by emergency helicopter.