FORT WORTH, Texas — Two people were hit by a vehicle, and one has died, along Interstate 35W in Fort Worth on Thursday morning, police said.
The crash happened around 9 a.m. Thursday, just north of downtown near 28th Street, according to a police news release. It put traffic at a standstill.
Twenty year old Richard Horvat ran out of gas and pulled his car to the shoulder of the northbound median, then called his father 47-year old Sonny Johnson for help.
They both got out the car to gas up. Then someone slammed into the pair - killing Johnson and critically injuring his son.
Fort Worth police said the driver who hit the pair told officers the crash happened because they were trying to avoid rear ending an 18-wheeler and pulled into the median where they were stalled. So far no charges have been filled.
“You have to gauge how busy it is or how unsafe it may be for you to exit your vehicle,“ TXDOT Spokesperson Alice Rios Shaw said.
Shaw also said you should think twice before getting out of your car in these kinds of situations.
“Only 1% of crashes in Texas involve pedestrians, but they do make up 19% of all traffic deaths. So in the last five years, pedestrian traffic fatalities in Texas increased 29 1/2%,” Rios Shaw said.
Highways pose the biggest threat. TXDOT said if you find yourself disabled on the highway – really, your safest option is to stay in your car with your seatbelt on. You should also put on your hazards and call 911.
If you have to exit your car – get out away from traffic and get as far away from the road as possible.
“We just want to remind people to be aware of their surroundings, whether it's a pedestrian or all the cars on the roadway around you and be mindful of what you're doing,” she said.
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