I-10 East and West Now Re-Opened After Wreck

A 15 vehicle pile-up has now been cleared and Interstate 10 in Orange County has reopened following a collision that injured a number of people, two critically. 

The wreck at about 3 p.m. Wednesday shut down both the east bound lanes for about five hours and the west bound lanes for about 2 1/2 hours.

The chain reaction accident involved 13 vehicles and two 18-wheelers.

Authorities still aren't sure just how many people were injured, but at least two are in critical condition.

"In the midst of an accident, we're still safe;" said Robert Flagg.

Flagg and nine of his family members were in a van on I-10 East when he saw several cars in front of him and behind him collide.

"Huh, it was very, very scary.  You actually saw this coming at you through the rear view mirror," said Flagg.

Flagg says he just prayed and braced himself for the worst.

"You saw 'em coming and there's nothing you can do," said Flagg.

Nothing he could do nearly a thousand miles away from home.  Flagg and his family were on their way back to Miami after attending his nephew's funeral in Killeen.

"It's very scary cause when you bury someone and then you have a horrific accident like this, it's very scary, very scary;" said Flagg.

"First thing I did was look in my mirror and see if anybody's going to hit me," said Peggy Henry.

Henry was fortunate and avoided being part of the 15 vehicle pile up. Once everything settled, she left her car to check on the victims.

"The guy they had to pull through the window, he said 'I can't move my legs,' so that really upset me," said Henry.

Paramedics took several other victims, with injuries ranging from serious to minor, to Christus Hospital St. Elizabeth and Memorial Hermann Baptist Hospital in Orange.

"It could have been us, you know," said Henry.

"I take it and say, 'thank you, Jesus,' because nobody died and that's the best way I can say it, is 'thank you, Lord, for a favor,'" said Flagg.

State troopers say the accident was caused when the driver of an eighteen wheeler failed to control his speed in a construction zone and hit another car.