Fort Worth

Traffic Delays First Responders in Fort Worth

A Fort Worth fire crew had to walk to a crash scene Wednesday morning after getting stuck in traffic on Interstate 35W.

The crash happened in the southbound lanes of I-35W at Meacham Boulevard just before 6 a.m. Six people were injured when an 18-wheeler and three other vehicles collided.

Because of construction in the area, concrete barriers were put in place along the lanes. According to Lt. Kyle Falkner of the Fort Worth Fire Department, the barriers prevented other drivers from moving over to allow first responders to pass.

"No matter what, we do our best to work around those types of barriers to deliver care to patients as quickly as we possibly can," Falkner said. "I think the crews did a good job by making the decision to walk up there."

Drivers were left stuck in the backup for up to two hours. At one point, crews opened one lane to let hundreds of cars pass the wreck.

While their crews don't train for cases where they have to leave the truck, Falkner said it's not so rare to experience it on a call.

"It's not something we do every day, leaving the truck in traffic like that," he explained. "Our guys are always looking for the solution. Whether it's weather or traffic or construction โ€“ no matter what โ€“ we do our best to work."

All lanes were reopened by 10 a.m.

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