Big 18-Wheeler Pileup Snarls I-35 Traffic For Hours In Central Texas

WACO — Traffic was beginning to flow again late Wednesday afternoon on southbound Interstate 35 in Waco after a big pileup involving three 18-wheelers that snarled traffic for several hours.

The crash at around 1:30 p.m. just south of South 18th Street backed up traffic into the Bellmead area.

One of the trucks was leaking diesel fuel and a hazardous materials team had to be called in to contain and clean up the spill.

One of the trucks ended up against a guardrail, which kept it from toppling from the bridge.

Waco police urged motorists to find an alternate route while crews worked to clear the scene.

Two truck drivers were taken by ambulance to a local hospital complaining of back and injuries.

The third driver did not require medical attention.

Rain was falling and the highway was slick at the time of the chain-reaction crash, which police say happened when an 18-wheeler in the outside lane hydroplaned, struck the median barrier and veered to the right, colliding with a truck in the center lane.

The two trucks then slid into a third 18-wheeler, which hit the guardrail on the far right side of the highway.

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source: KWTX (7/11)