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00:00The South of the United States, Texas.
00:15We're on Interstate 35.
00:18It's noon.
00:20A car accident has just happened.
00:24Rick, a policeman, called into action, is tense.
00:27Apparently, there's a major accident up north on the freeway involving an overturned 18-wheeler
00:34and several other cars pretty much blocking all lanes of traffic northbound.
00:41On the spot, police and emergency services are on alert.
00:45The pileup is serious.
00:47Five vehicles crashed or were badly damaged.
00:50The force of the impact caused windows, doors and hoods to shatter.
01:02The roadway is still marked with the signs of the collision.
01:06The cause?
01:07This car was hit by a tow truck.
01:10The driver of the vehicle was immediately taken care of by the ambulance.
01:14Her condition is worrying.
01:15The other drivers were miraculously unharmed.
01:19Yet, mystery still remains.
01:28I don't know exactly how this vehicle got here.
01:32These two cars are in an area inaccessible to drivers.
01:35This barricade is to block off these lanes here that are closed.
01:44There aren't supposed to be any traffic here at all.
01:47This is closed.
01:48It's under construction.
01:50How did they get there?
01:56So when he hit it, the one on top just went over the barricade.
01:59He hit it with such force that it pretty much looks like it threw the barricade over and he wound up over there.
02:27The victims of the accident are still shocked.
02:31This man was driving right behind the tow truck.
02:35I hit his oil patch and I slid into the back and hit where the tow bar is.
02:40I didn't have my airbags go off or anything.
02:42So as soon as I kind of hit that, I got myself stopped, put it in the park.
02:46I got out and I went to go check on the tow truck driver because his vehicle caught fire and everything.
02:50I wanted to make sure, make a thing for me was making sure he was all right.
02:53Very shocking.
02:54I'm just glad everyone's okay.
02:55It didn't end up as bad as it could have been.
02:58The priority now is to avoid another accident, which Rick fears.
03:03Interstate 35 crosses the whole state.
03:06Get out of here.
03:0727.
03:10It's one of the busiest roads in the USA.
03:14For safety reasons, the policeman decides to divert the traffic.
03:18Moving on to another freeway that can figure out later how to get back on.
03:22It will take two hours to clear the road and make it safe again.
03:29Shocked more than harmed, the driver escaped with only minor injuries.
03:33In Texas, these spectacular accidents have become a daily occurrence in recent years.
03:38It's the scourge of this huge state, the second most populated in the United States.
03:43With a crash reported every 56 seconds, Texas is the leading state in traffic accidents.
03:56And I don't know how someone would survive that.
04:03Or how they would even get out of the vehicle.
04:05One of the most dangerous roads, Interstate 35, which crosses Texas from north to south,
04:19passing through the cities of Dallas and San Antonio.
04:22A busy road with a sad record.
04:28One person killed every two hours.
04:31Most accidents are caused by speeding.
04:33In Texas, in spite of the limits, sanctions are almost non-existent.
04:37And police officers seem to be complacent.
04:39I think a warning will change her mind.
04:44Another problem is bad weather.
04:47The state is prone to heavy rains, causing numerous accidents.
04:51The most spectacular one took place in 2021, with 130 cars involved.
04:58Trauma for Texans.
05:02What the mud?
05:03This was like, it kept happening, it kept happening, it kept happening.
05:11Hit after hit, sparks were flying.
05:13It's a lot of bad ones, but that was by far the worst one I've seen.
05:17It was just kind of mind-blowing to see something like that.
05:21In Fort Worth and Dallas, authorities are always on the lookout for dangerous driving.
05:27For two months, we followed these heroes who watch over the road.
05:31Like Rick, who has been a police officer for 25 years and has seen some of the most dramatic accidents.
05:38Sometimes you'll see things that the human is not supposed to see, but it's part of the job.
05:46Or James, head of one of the biggest tow truck companies.
05:49Go ahead and go get your truck.
05:51Every day, he and his crew risk their lives doing their jobs.
05:55The longer they stay here, these people, the drivers become a target and these people don't care.
06:00Texas roads are perfect for all kinds of extreme behaviour.
06:04It's not rare to come across a new kind of driver.
06:09Fans of wild rodeos.
06:14Disregarding safety rules and especially the lives of other drivers.
06:17If they hadn't have been done, he would have still been with us.
06:21You know, he lost his life over something stupid, you know.
06:26Among reckless drivers and madmen behind the wheel, we dive into the Texas roads of hell.
06:32It's 11pm, 31 miles from Dallas.
06:44The city of Fort Worth is about to have an eventful night.
06:49Rick, the policeman, has just been called in for an unusual accident.
06:52Right now, we're at 2350 South Riverside on the east side of downtown.
07:00In this suburban district, the residents are witnessing a surreal scene.
07:05Dozens of police vehicles, fire trucks and ambulances.
07:09The reason?
07:10A car chase that went wrong.
07:12Information that came over the MDC that stated that there was a robbery where they stole the car.
07:25Well, they located the vehicle.
07:27They tried to pull it over and the guy ran from them at a high-speed pursuit.
07:32The suspect lost control, rolled over several times on top of some other cars,
07:36and they just barely pulled them out.
07:38Police have hundreds of videos of these forceful arrests.
07:52Fugitives take all kinds of risks, like driving at full speed in the city centre.
07:57Chases that can last for hours.
08:08Until the inevitable happens.
08:11An accident.
08:18Perpetrators usually end up crashing, as they did again tonight.
08:27If you would, I'll show you where it came in.
08:31This is the location where the vehicle entered the yard.
08:35You can see the evidence, the tire marks where, just in front of that patrol car,
08:41you can see the tire marks where he came through here, at a high rate of speed.
08:47If you look right here, you can see where it left the trail.
08:51Yeah, the vehicle is still there.
08:53I think we're looking at the bottom of it.
08:56Stuck between trees, the car is a wreck.
08:59The runaway is in a serious state.
09:01He must be urgently transported to the hospital.
09:03The driver's condition is not good.
09:11I'm sure he's going to live.
09:12There's a good chance he might lose his leg.
09:15And, of course, he's got bumps and bruises on him,
09:18so we still don't know the right condition, but he's hurting right now.
09:23For stealing a vehicle and fleeing, the driver faces at least three years in prison.
09:28A spectacular accident that will not be the only one tonight.
09:35Across town on Interstate 35, two cars have just collided very violently on a bridge.
09:41These four people feared for their lives.
09:43A pickup truck ran into them.
09:45Under the extreme force of the impact, the vehicle turned over entirely.
09:57The other car is pulverized.
10:00Trunk crushed and windows smashed into thousands of pieces.
10:04The accident could have been fatal.
10:06Rick wants to understand what happened.
10:08This is part of it as well.
10:15And based on where the skid marks or where that truck is, it has to have some space.
10:19Well, I mean, this is where the truck laid down.
10:23He'd hit it and move over that way.
10:25Yeah, I think the car was actually off the road.
10:27I don't think it was on there.
10:28Going over 68 miles per hour, it was impossible for the pickup to avoid this stationary car without a warning sign.
10:36Miraculously, all four passengers were not inside the car at the time of impact.
10:43The car we have right here in front of us, for some reason it was broke down and was partially blocking the traffic lane.
10:52This truck comes up behind it and rear-ends it, gets it from behind, flipping the truck over and knocking the car up about 50 to 60 feet from where it was originally parked.
11:08Distraught, the mother of the driver of the pickup came to see the damage.
11:12In disbelief in front of the wreckage of the vehicle, Rick goes to comfort her.
11:18He's going to be a little sore the next couple of days.
11:20Right now he's not feeling it because it's adrenaline, yeah.
11:24But there's nothing you can do for that.
11:25It's just like starting a workout, you know.
11:27You're going to be sore, he's got to get over it.
11:28He's 60.
11:29He just told me that I wasn't supposed to tell you all that.
11:31The teenager, however, remains philosophical.
11:34Whatever happens, it's chances.
11:36It's life.
11:37So what?
11:39It happened before I even knew what happened.
11:43An accident that ended well.
11:45But everyone knows that the risk of crashing is always looming over the heads of drivers.
11:50Texas is a real urban jungle where one can often witness completely unconscious behaviours
12:00like these drivers going the wrong way on the highway.
12:04Here, everyone is in danger.
12:13Even the emergency services workers often fall victim to reckless drivers.
12:18As is the case in this shocking footage, a policeman in the middle of a control hit on the highway.
12:26Incredibly, he escaped unharmed.
12:28A miracle on the roads of Texas where every day a dozen people lose their lives.
12:33Once again, tonight, Rick will demonstrate this during his next intervention.
12:47One after another.
12:49A car going at full speed has just hit a motorbike.
12:53The rider was projected several metres away.
12:56He had no chance.
12:58He died on the spot.
12:59Another tragedy on Interstate 35.
13:15With nearly 150 traffic deaths per year, the city of Fort Worth ranks among the deadliest areas in the state of Texas.
13:22One of the causes is quite obvious.
13:25Speeding.
13:34Disregard for traffic rules is increasing, resulting in tragic accidents every day.
13:39In this footage, this pickup is hit by another vehicle driving at over 74 miles an hour.
13:54The speeding truck loses control and destroys everything in its path.
13:59An accident that could have been tragic.
14:01In 2020, these reckless drivers cause more than two accidents per day.
14:15To put an end to this problem, the police are intensifying their controls.
14:19In office for 14 years, Officer Aaron goes on a daily patrol for dangerous drivers.
14:25In his sights is one of the most problematic areas in the city centre.
14:29And we'll go out to our known areas.
14:43Like, this is a known speeding area.
14:46We've had several fatality accidents right down here.
14:50A few days ago, this very suburban neighbourhood was the scene of a dramatic accident.
14:54This black vehicle, travelling at over 55 miles an hour, killed a man and his child on the spot.
15:06To avoid another tragedy, Aaron relentlessly chases reckless drivers.
15:1252 and a 35.
15:13Here is an example.
15:27The reason I'm stopping you, I got you at 52 and I posted 35 back there, OK?
15:34Yes, ma'am. I'm sure it was you.
15:36The driver was speeding at 17 miles an hour over the speed limit.
15:40She immediately admits her fault.
15:44I have to hurry up and be on time.
15:48And drop off my child and run and get coffee.
15:51I wasn't aware that I was going that fast.
15:58Aaron has a rather surprising method of keeping order.
16:02Again, running late for work.
16:04Seems to be a common theme of the morning here.
16:06We'll issue her a quick warning and send her on her way.
16:10I think a warning will change her mind.
16:13In Europe, this speeding ticket would have resulted in the loss of points and a $150 fine.
16:21All right, there you go.
16:22Drive safely, OK?
16:23Have a good one.
16:25But in Fort Worth, a simple warning is enough and this driver can leave without a hitch.
16:30It takes at least four warnings before getting an actual fine.
16:41Here, drivers don't fear getting a ticket.
16:46One warning today, OK?
16:48You just get a promise to slow down for me, right?
16:50No fine, even if they have the pedal to the metal, like the next car.
16:54So 57 miles an hour right there.
16:58That is pretty fast.
17:03She's getting close to, you know, most of our freeways here are 60 miles an hour.
17:06So she's doing close to freeway speed on a residential street.
17:11At 22 miles an hour above the speed limit, this young driver still risks nothing.
17:16In the United States, the driving license point system does not exist.
17:20She's just going to get a warning.
17:21Hopefully that will change their mind.
17:23You know, hopefully that will bring them to slow down non-stop.
17:26Speeding has become a pandemic around here.
17:29And I think on average, we average 153, 150 in that range fatalities every year.
17:37After 30 minutes and a dozen violations, no penalty was given by the officer.
17:42It's no surprise that the roads here are so deadly.
17:45In this state, as in the rest of the United States, losing one's license is almost impossible.
17:56Heading to Interstate 35, the most frequented road in Texas.
18:0181.
18:01It's an accident-prone highway with a 65 mile an hour speed limit.
18:11But here, most of the drivers exceed the speed limit by at least 25 miles an hour.
18:15We stopped her.
18:16We stopped her.
18:16She was doing 87 and a posted 65.
18:19She's headed to take her kids swimming.
18:21So I guess she's just in a hurry to get to the pool.
18:24I'm going to issue her a warning.
18:26She's very polite.
18:29In Texas, the police don't give tickets.
18:32Judges decide.
18:33Exceeding the speed limit by at least 18 miles an hour results in a fine of at least $330.
18:39In case of four repeated offenses in the same year, the risk of losing one's license is
18:45higher, but then again, nothing is fixed by the law.
18:49For this driver, caught at 37 miles an hour over the limit, Aaron has no choice but to give
18:54him a court summons.
18:57It was 97 in a posted 60 mile an hour zone.
19:00How much is he going to pay for that?
19:03I don't know how much it'll pay.
19:04That is up to the court.
19:05He is going so fast that he has no other option other than to fight it in court or to
19:11pay the max fine.
19:12Used to you could.
19:13We used to have a point system.
19:15Now a judge can revoke your license if they see fit.
19:19Despite his extremely dangerous driving, this driver is back on the road while waiting for
19:27his trial.
19:27If he has a good lawyer, he'll get off without a fine.
19:30This is rather disturbing, especially since Texas is known for its harsh punishments when
19:35it comes to crime.
19:37This laxity on the road is going to put another life in danger.
19:46It's noon.
19:47Traffic is heavy on Interstate 35.
19:50A few meters from here, on this intersection, a terrible accident has just happened.
19:55It's Nelly, a policewoman, who arrives at the scene.
19:58It's never adult day.
20:01There's usually not a driver in there.
20:04Usually.
20:05We just had another bad accident where a lady, she lost her phone.
20:09Rolled a vehicle?
20:10Yeah, that just happened.
20:12That just happened.
20:14Your incident has been updated.
20:15The impact is impressive.
20:17The car looks like it's been ripped open.
20:20The driver was hit by a vehicle at the intersection.
20:22I believe this vehicle was speeding down this road here, which is Eastbury, and it got hit
20:38and it hit this, the light pole stopped it.
20:41The lady, the driver of that vehicle, I'm not sure where exactly she's at.
20:45The family who arrived on the scene doesn't know yet, but the driver, who was rushed to
20:51the hospital by firemen, died of her injuries on the way to a hospital.
20:55The impact was just too violent.
21:03Yeah, that looks pretty bad.
21:05I don't know how someone would survive that.
21:08Or how they would even get out of the vehicle.
21:10For Nelly, there is no doubt that speed is still the cause of this fatal accident.
21:17The neighbourhood is even known for it.
21:21You know, there's a residential area, there's gas stations here, there's people constantly
21:25pulling out out of all these streets, and people feel the need to speed.
21:31People want to get on the freeway and they are in the wrong lane, so they're trying to
21:34merge into the lane, the other people don't want to let them.
21:36It's a bad mix of everything.
21:38It's a perfect storm.
21:40Perfect storm.
21:42The investigation that has just begun will determine exactly who is responsible.
21:48Dangerous behaviour that is not about to end.
21:50On the road, some drivers can't resist slowing down to watch the show, causing another accident.
22:02Hey, you parked your driver's off, get over there.
22:05Get on the parking lot.
22:07Parking lot.
22:08It's always a secondary collision.
22:12This one wasn't too bad, but of course, just everybody wants to know what's going on
22:15here, not paying attention to what's in front of them.
22:17And this is unfortunately what happens.
22:22Recurring accidents without any measures taken to improve road safety.
22:25On this road, five people have died in six months.
22:35With nearly 4,000 fatalities in 2020, driving in Texas is more dangerous than in California
22:41or Florida.
22:41The number of billboards advertising specialized lawyers has grown by the day.
22:52But the sector that brings in billions of dollars is the towing industry.
22:56In San Antonio, there is even a towing show that attracts thousands of Americans every year.
23:15We're actually from Louisiana, so we're not from Texas.
23:18Here, 300 dealers display trucks, each more shiny than the other.
23:23In the United States, these trucks are designed to impress.
23:27The goal?
23:28To be spotted on the road with these state-of-the-art vehicles.
23:31Colourful design, flashing lights and chrome hubcaps.
23:38Gems of the tow truck industry.
23:40Something that one family in particular dreams about.
23:43The Bennetts.
23:48Look at those lights, those are cool.
23:50That thing lights up so when you're back into a building, you can see it in the mirror.
23:55And it tells you where the end of your truck's at.
23:58$370,000 for this truck.
24:00So we have six trucks that are this size and bigger.
24:04That's a lot of mine.
24:06James and his crew are not just ordinary visitors.
24:09They run one of Fort Worth's largest tow truck companies.
24:13In ten years, James and his wife Chloe have built an empire from the ground up.
24:20We've started with little trucks, you know, bring our kids with us along.
24:24You know, there's a lot of times that they've ridden in the sleeper of the truck.
24:27I've gone on calls with him.
24:29You know, we may be sitting in the truck for two or three hours.
24:31Sometimes they get to get out and help and that's really cool.
24:34They can be hands-on.
24:35Children here have a predetermined destiny.
24:38I'd probably like to be in the towing industry later on in life because it's just,
24:43it's something that I think is fun and I think, I think I enjoy.
24:46Not a lot of people get to mess with a million dollars, but like one of these are pretty close
24:51to a million dollars.
24:51So you're just, you're going out there and you're literally playing with a million dollars.
24:55So, it's pretty cool stuff.
25:03A business that pays off.
25:05His company has a turnover of 7.35 million US dollars.
25:10To become the king of breakdown services, there's only one method.
25:13Handling as many accidents as possible.
25:15With 46 trucks and 50 employees.
25:19I don't think that that would fit in here.
25:20It would be nice.
25:22James has a contract with every emergency service in Fort Worth to be the first to be called
25:27in case of an accident.
25:28We average somewhere between 65 all the way up to 105 calls a day, just depending on what
25:35type of day it is.
25:36You can see these trucks coming in and going and dropping cars.
25:41Making a profit is his obsession.
25:43Therefore, James has set a time limit.
25:45Maximum, 13 minutes to clean the road, not a minute more.
25:49A strict rule that Cole knows well.
25:51For a salary of $5,500 per month, the employee works on at least six accidents per day, with
25:57no bonus for the risk involved.
26:03It's dangerous on these roads though.
26:05Everybody drives crazy, so you've got to watch your back all the time.
26:09I'm always busy with, you know, just crazy wrecks, all kinds of stuff like that.
26:14But it's also dangerous, you know, being on the roads, but it's fun.
26:17Over here, like one every six days, a tow truck driver gets hit and killed.
26:25In Texas, being a tow truck driver is one of the most dangerous jobs.
26:29In 2020, 60 died in interventions hit by vehicles.
26:35A constant danger, as in this case.
26:42Cole has to get the car out of the scene quickly.
26:44The boss times him himself.
26:46We've been here for just over three minutes right now.
26:54And this, we're already loading it right now.
26:56Our goal is, is to be under nine to 13 minutes.
27:00The faster we can get him off of the roadway, neither one of these guys are at risk of getting
27:05hit by a secondary accident.
27:07All right, let's get out of here.
27:13We're ready to roll.
27:14All right, let's get off this road.
27:16Let's do it.
27:16Thanks.
27:17In just seven minutes, the car is off the road.
27:21Mission accomplished with great success, but that's not always the case.
27:24On Interstate 820, a huge pile-up has just taken place.
27:32Three cars involved, two were hit head-on at a speed of over 60 miles an hour.
27:39Emergency services are already on the scene.
27:41One of the drivers is in a worrying state.
27:43All right, let's take this nice and easy, okay?
27:55All right, how do you feel standing?
27:58Feel more dizzy, woozy?
28:00This elderly driver is complaining of neck and head pain.
28:07Where are you hurting the worst?
28:10Side.
28:11The side?
28:11Pain here in your belly, wire touch?
28:14Yeah.
28:14Yeah?
28:18This driver is having trouble moving.
28:23So, are you all transporting him, too?
28:25Yeah, we're going to just double Odom.
28:26Looks like we got one, he's a little bit critical, said he got knocked out.
28:29Other one, he's a little bit critical, we're just going to double Odom, take him to the same hospital.
28:33The driver of the third vehicle is unharmed.
28:36The priority now is to remove the cars from the road to avoid another accident.
28:41James is tense, his team must move quickly.
28:45Alan, jump in there and just help us.
28:47Are you going to come get this one?
28:50It's 6pm, it's rush hour, the most dangerous time.
28:54Go ahead and go get your truck.
28:58Alan, you get your truck.
28:59Esteban, stay here and help Alan get done.
29:01I'll go out of the way so you can get back.
29:03He's good, come on.
29:04On the highway, every second out of a vehicle is a risk.
29:10James knows he won't make it in time.
29:14I think that we're somewhere around 13 minutes now, but we also had to set inside a lot of traffic just to get through here.
29:21We'll clear the whole scene with three vehicles in under 20 minutes.
29:25No penalty if his men exceed the time limit.
29:29Their safety is the only thing that counts.
29:31Trained well, they keep on moving, despite the cars passing by.
29:36We've got two minutes and we'll hit 20 minutes.
29:38The longer they stay here, these people, the drivers become a target and these people don't care.
29:44But the majority of the traffic during rush hour, they think that where they have to be is more important than what's going on here on the road.
29:51This time again, the mission is accomplished without a hitch.
29:55James and his teams return home safe and sound.
29:58The two wounded men escaped with a sprained leg and a head injury.
30:08On the other side of town, Rick De Los Santos, who's been a police officer for over 20 years, begins his patrol.
30:16Always armed, the police officer is on the alert.
30:19He's on the lookout for dangerous drivers.
30:23Our main problem is people not slowing down or adjusting accordingly to the weather conditions or the road conditions.
30:30Driving too fast, not paying attention because they're on their phone, putting on makeup, reading a book,
30:36watching a movie, I've seen that.
30:41Dangerous behavior that leads to terrible accidents.
30:45Like this one, where two vehicles collide on the highway, resulting in one death.
30:52In this clip, a car violently hits the security barrier.
30:59Here, two teenagers died on the spot.
31:02Hit by this black vehicle.
31:04Shocking situations that haunt police officers.
31:10I've worked many accidents.
31:12I've worked sometimes four or five a day.
31:15There's some situations where it's difficult to work an accident.
31:21Sometimes you'll see things that the human is not supposed to see,
31:27but it's part of the job and we have to be professional about it.
31:32Maintaining professionalism in every way, especially in the face of extremely erratic weather.
31:39Suddenly it rains heavily, a pitfall for drivers.
31:45Bad weather is a major problem here.
31:48With a subtropical climate, Texas is known as much for its very hot temperatures
31:52as for its storms and hurricanes.
31:55Unpredictable weather, which is the cause of many accidents.
32:05Like this one with Rick.
32:06For our record, it comes to the traffic northbound.
32:11Northwest little plate 20 off of Hazel.
32:16Apparently somebody lost control and rolled the vehicle over several times.
32:20Anybody been transported?
32:21No.
32:23Hydroplane.
32:23Are you hydroplane?
32:24Yeah.
32:24I know, that was surprising.
32:27Yeah, I was right at traffic time.
32:29Speeding down this wet road, this pickup truck slid and ended up like this, crossing the road.
32:38The danger is that it could cause a pile-up, which the emergency services are worried about.
32:43To avoid the worst, the tow truck driver hastens to remove the vehicle.
32:48Time is running out.
32:52The driver still can't believe what happened.
32:54I was just driving, and I guess, I don't know, I kind of started sliding to the other lane,
33:04so I tried to glide it, because I knew I was sliding, and I caught control for a second.
33:11And then I started gliding.
33:13A situation Rick knows all too well.
33:16Accidents like this one he's seen hundreds of times.
33:18Weather conditions change within seconds, but people don't change.
33:40They keep driving fast, and this is what happens.
33:43After only a few minutes, the vehicle is removed from the road.
33:46Luckily, the only damage was to the vehicle.
33:49Bad weather was the cause of one of the worst accidents the state has ever seen.
34:03This is February the 11th, 2021, a day that will go down in Texas history.
34:13They don't have a number.
34:16They just said everything that you possibly could bring them.
34:20In a matter of seconds, Fort Worth became the scene of a massive accident,
34:24which left Texans traumatised.
34:29It's 6am, rush hour traffic, the time when people leave for work.
34:34The road is very slippery due to ice.
34:37A car stopped in the middle of the road.
34:39A first truck tried to avoid it, but it was impossible to brake on the ice.
34:42He lost control.
34:44What happens next becomes a nightmare.
34:53A total of 133 vehicles, including 20 trucks, crash into each other at full speed.
35:06It's a total tragedy, filmed by witnesses on the other side of the road.
35:10This apocalyptic scene will last over 20 minutes.
35:14The incessant sound of cars crashing into each other is terrifying.
35:18A traumatising scene that overwhelms emergency workers like Cody and James, two experienced paramedics.
35:41It was like a nightmare.
35:45You'd never think you'd go to work that morning and work one of the largest wrecks in the nation.
35:50This was like, it kept happening, it kept happening, kept happening.
35:54Hit after hit, sparks were flying.
35:56On Interstate 35, speeding and icy roads don't go together.
36:02A real scene of desolation where everyone is powerless.
36:06There was a moment of silence before everything rushed back, and as we were walking, we could hear, you know, cars leaking fluids, you know, people screaming for help.
36:19Inside these wrecks, more than 100 people were trapped for over three hours.
36:23Me and my partner both looked at each other after we transported our first patient, and we both were like, what just happened?
36:33What did we see?
36:33We started knocking on windows, trying to find patients who were trapped, who were injured.
36:39Some of them that were just trapped but not injured, they would just give us a thumbs up, we'd go to the next car.
36:44In total that morning, 36 people were urgently transported to hospital.
36:51In this footage, it's difficult to distinguish individual vehicles.
36:55It's a mountain of wreckage.
36:57The tow truck drivers can't believe it, like Cole, the employee of one of the biggest tow truck companies in Texas.
37:07It was pretty insane when we got there.
37:09Everybody was just, there was just wreckage and carnage everywhere,
37:12and everybody was just trying to figure out what we were going to do,
37:15because, you know, none of us have seen anything quite that big before.
37:18We see a lot of accidents, a lot of bad ones, but that was by far the worst one I've seen.
37:23It was just kind of mind-blowing to see something like that.
37:26On site, all the emergency services are working together.
37:29It'll take more than 20 hours to clean up the disastrous scene.
37:34Six people lost their lives on that day.
37:36A toll that could have been much worse if some drivers didn't have the courage to help others.
37:46Trey was in one of the vehicles.
37:48Six months later, it's difficult for him to return to the scene of the tragedy.
37:52I mean, I pass it every single day that I work, and it's, I just, you know, it kind of gives me chills every time.
38:02There's still scrapes along the centre barrier of where vehicles were piled up.
38:08So, I mean, the memory's still there. It's never going to go away.
38:13Trey, a paramedic by profession, was trapped by one of the 38-ton trucks.
38:17My impact, then another vehicle impacts, and then that's when I look up and see the semi-truck trailer heading straight towards me.
38:29I just kind of look down and brace for impact.
38:36In this footage, his car is crushed. He almost died.
38:41When I got out and I looked at it, it looked like it folded in like tissue paper.
38:47It was, it was, I never, I never thought my vehicle would ever look like, look like that.
38:55In a state of shock, Trey managed to get out of his vehicle and became, against his better judgment, the first paramedic on the scene.
39:02Instinctively, he helped the first victims, a heroic act that saved lives.
39:08Yeah.
39:08I'd never been in something like that. I'd never seen anything this immense before.
39:15And I, uh, I started checking on, on individuals.
39:19Um, I, I just didn't know what else to do. I was just so overwhelmed with the situation.
39:24I felt like I needed to do something in that, in that particular situation.
39:27Yeah, it was a complete nightmare. Absolute nightmare.
39:30Um, I wouldn't wish that upon my worst enemy. Um.
39:37Suffering from head and back pain, it took him a month to recover from his injuries.
39:42Today, completely recovered, he tries as best he can to erase his terrible memories.
39:48But the paramedic knows. In Texas, experiencing multiple car accidents is almost certain.
39:53Here, disasters are no longer counted, be it during the day or at night.
40:01Accidents make business for some, like news channels.
40:11A street race turned to a drama in the south of Austin. A man is in detention.
40:18Road accidents fascinate Americans. Images are shown on television all the time.
40:22To capture them, one needs a very special kind of journalist.
40:31San Antonio, South Texas.
40:35Ken is an employee of a production company that works for the local TV.
40:39For more than ten years, he's been chasing the most spectacular scenes, especially at night.
40:44He covers an average of three storeys a night.
40:56Generally, there's not a lot of people who like this job.
40:59I see a lot of dead people.
41:00To make sure he doesn't miss anything, he's equipped like a policeman.
41:07So, inside the car, I have two unit and radios that kind of pick up the surrounding areas
41:12and a lot more of what's going on in San Antonio.
41:16This one's specifically for the city of San Antonio's police department.
41:20I've got another one that's for the sheriff's department and another one that's for the fire department.
41:24I can hear them all at the same time.
41:28Every night, he earns $190.
41:30In one month, Ken earns more than $4,400, no matter how many accidents he films.
41:37But he has a lot of competitors, a dozen reporters looking for a story like him.
41:42Tonight, he'll not be disappointed.
41:44Right now, I'm trying to get this guy on tape before the EMS closes up shop.
41:48In this residential area, a driver was shot at.
41:53It's no surprise, since in Texas, carrying weapons is allowed.
41:57On the windshield of this vehicle are very visible bullet holes.
42:06The driver, shot in the chest, is in the ambulance.
42:09He's still alive.
42:12Something that happens a lot here in Texas, there's too many guns on the streets.
42:16And the more people have guns, the more people are going to get shot.
42:20Because I'm at shooting calls usually two or three times a night.
42:23It's bad for the city, good for the news.
42:26Every year, more than 3,000 people die as a result of these shootings.
42:31In fact, Texas has the second highest number of gun deaths of any state in the country.
42:36Tonight, luckily, the victim will not die from his injuries.
42:39But for Ken to make a living, he has to follow one accident after another.
42:46The next intervention could be the most important of the evening.
42:53It is midnight.
42:54In this usually quiet suburban area, a scene totally unheard of.
42:59The residents can't believe their eyes.
43:00What I heard is that there is a vehicle halfway in the living room.
43:08So we're going to check that out.
43:10Unbelievable but real.
43:11A vehicle just crashed into this house in the middle of the living room.
43:15The driver is in an ambulance.
43:17He's suffered multiple injuries.
43:18He was transported to the hospital.
43:24I don't know which one at this point.
43:25We have an officer over there to do an evaluation on him to see if he's under the influence of
43:31alcohol or narcotics.
43:33You say he had a vehicle over here first?
43:35Yeah, that's like it right there.
43:36So he had a black vehicle.
43:37Yeah, so that probably actually slowed him down probably.
43:40There's a bend in that front wall but it didn't actually penetrate into the house.
43:44The traumatized family that was inside the house was evacuated in an instant.
43:49All family members had a close call.
43:52Nobody hurt.
43:52Nobody hurt inside.
43:53Most importantly, everybody's okay.
43:55They're just startled, a little shaken.
43:56Okay.
43:58In total, about 10 people were in the living room, all safe and sound.
44:02Ken on his part is happy.
44:04He has his story of the evening.
44:07I do it so often that I don't really think about it so much.
44:10It's more just shoot, shoot, shoot.
44:12When you see a truck sticking halfway out of a house, it's kind of, whoa, glad that's not my house.
44:18The driver, who suffered a hemorrhage and a head injury, was released from the hospital a few days later.
44:25As for Ken, it's a big success tonight.
44:28The next morning, his story will be on the local TV.
44:30The road is a playground for a special phenomenon, wild rodeos.
44:42In Texas, a movement is gaining popularity.
44:50It's called bike life.
44:52Groups of bikers take over the roads and defy the laws of gravity by performing spectacular stunts.
44:58In total, this community of enthusiasts consists of nearly 1,000 people.
45:03In defiance of all road safety rules, these young Americans take to the highways every weekend, risking everything.
45:09A real public danger that worries the authorities.
45:12We're able to meet this young generation, riding the wave of danger.
45:31Today, there are about 50 of them, some as young as 15 years old.
45:35Every weekend, they meet at the same place, this gas station.
45:39The leader here is Tone Scott.
45:41We know there's a lot of kids out here that look up to the wrong things.
45:53You might got kids out here looking up to drug dealers.
45:55They're looking up to, you know, a lot of crazy things.
45:57So to keep the kids out the streets, we want to bring them something that they can actually see up close and personal.
46:02That, hey, cops are the bad guys.
46:05We don't really like the cops out here.
46:06I'll be honest.
46:07Sometimes you got some good cops that are respectful that let us do our thing.
46:10But then you got those one asshole cops.
46:14They don't know what we're doing.
46:15But if they took the time out to actually, you know, to understand where we come from and why we do what we do,
46:22then maybe it'd be better.
46:23But for right now, fuck them.
46:26It's 4 p.m.
46:27Time to storm the city streets.
46:30Bike life.
46:31BMW bike life.
46:32Let's get it.
46:33On this stretch of road connecting Dallas to its suburbs, the bikers took over the entire road, blocking traffic.
46:44Whether in the city or on the highway, there's only one goal.
46:48Messing around on the road.
46:50Running red lights.
46:52Disrespecting road rules.
46:53The most reckless ones are doing balancing acts until they fall.
47:11This biker fell at nearly 45 miles an hour.
47:15More frightened than hurt, he gets up quickly.
47:17It's out of the question for the bikers to stop for too long.
47:20The police could intervene.
47:29Like in this footage.
47:31That day, the bikers were chased by the Dallas police.
47:33A chase that could cost up to six months in prison and a $2,200 fine.
47:41To avoid this situation, after an hour of rodeo, they go back to the starting point.
47:46They're fun showing off their war wounds.
47:52I was in a no-hander, hit a bump, ain't shit I could do, but he's still outside.
48:01He's still getting active.
48:02You got to ride back up and do it again.
48:04Yes, sir.
48:05Okay, let's just hear you.
48:07Anytime you come out here, you rest your life.
48:09You never know what could happen.
48:11This is what comes with bike life.
48:12He fell, he took that fall like a tap, and he got back up, and he started wheeling again.
48:17While the youth have a lot of fun with these illegal outings, for other drivers, it's a real nightmare.
48:28It's very, very dangerous.
48:30It's dangerous for all of us.
48:32Well, I happen to be behind them, and they're damn near.
48:35One of them almost fell, but I could have ran over them.
48:38So, you know, that shit needs to be somewhere else.
48:40I've seen cops in between the mix.
48:42Come on, man, you're supposed to be protecting us.
48:45What are you doing with these people?
48:46Why are you not stopping them?
48:48But, oh, let me go break and break the law, and they're going to get, oh, I've got to get locked up.
48:54A problem that is not about to disappear, especially since bikers have some competition.
49:00Illegal car races.
49:04In recent years, these gatherings that bring together hundreds of drivers have increased in number.
49:10Drifting in parking lots, or in the middle of crossroads, only a few centimetres away from unaware spectators.
49:26The worst part is that these races take place in the city, in the middle of traffic.
49:31Every year in Texas, about 100 deaths are caused by these illegal races.
49:35This evening in Dallas, a vehicle involved in a car race, driving at over 90 miles an hour, hit five innocent people.
49:48Three of them died.
49:57In the middle of the race, the two vehicles collided violently, resulting in the death of the two amateur drivers.
50:03In the northern suburbs of Dallas, no one in the Lyons family participates in illegal races, yet one of them left them traumatized.
50:19Greg and his family lost a loved one.
50:21He was my nephew, and we had a good relationship. Me and Kevin had a good relationship.
50:29Kendrick was about to turn 46.
50:32In February 2020, this father of four was hit by a car.
50:36A beautiful life destroyed by a hit-and-run driver in the middle of an illegal race.
50:41He didn't deserve that. He really did.
50:46And I just think that he should have had a second chance, you know, here.
50:51And, I don't know, it's just, it's still hard. It's still hard.
50:57Yeah, I feel angry, yeah.
51:00Absolutely, yeah.
51:01Because if they hadn't been done, he would have still been with us.
51:05You know, he lost his life over something stupid, you know.
51:09Still devastated, Greg and his family want to show us the scene of the tragedy, only a few blocks away.
51:17Less than a mile, probably, from the house.
51:21So we are just about there.
51:25It was 5 a.m. when Kendrick drove down this road.
51:29All right.
51:30To get to work.
51:32Yeah, we crossed the street. Come on. Everybody, come on across the street.
51:35That day, without knowing it, he found himself in the middle of one of these races.
51:43One of the drivers hit him at over 80 miles an hour.
51:46The zone is, however, limited to 40.
51:48This is the place where the accident happened.
51:52He was coming out of this street here.
51:55The cars was coming this way, racing.
51:57This is where they hit him, and they knocked the car down here.
52:01Caught on fire and burned up, and I think it ejected him and knocked him over this side of the street.
52:06Under the violence of the impact, Kendrick's vehicle rolled several times before catching fire,
52:11as this footage shows.
52:12A terrible accident that could happen again.
52:17This straight road with two lanes, ideal for overtaking,
52:20has become one of the preferred routes for illegal races at night, as well as during the day.
52:30That's what we're talking about.
52:32And if you notice, right up the street, that's where the other accident happened in.
52:43Right up the street here, the other accident happened.
52:45And another one?
52:46Yeah, just here recently.
52:48Three people got killed there.
52:49I try to go their way, or the bed way.
52:58Because I don't want to.
53:00I just don't want to take the river.
53:08Because I don't think in the bathroom.
53:11The family has filed a complaint, but justice is slow.
53:15The driver got out of the accident unscathed, and above all, free.
53:19In Texas, driving is a constant risk.
53:26The number of deaths on the roads has even increased by 7% between 2019 and 2020.
53:49Okay.
53:50Because I don't want to─Гm, over all, for sure.
53:57So, let's see.
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