Dallas chain reaction crash survivor thankful to be alive after wreck claims 4 lives

DALLAS - A woman who survived a deadly chain reaction crash in Dallas along I-45 over the weekend says the whole thing happened in a flash.         

The crash happened Saturday afternoon on I-45 near Simpson Stuart Road. A car hit another vehicle and then went flying across the median to the other side of the highway, crashing into more vehicles.

Four people died as a result of the crash.

Sandra Forte says she was one of the drivers on the other side of the highway when the crash happened. She said she was two miles away from home when the chain reaction began.

"When I saw it, I didn’t believe it," she recalled. "By the time that got out of my head, the car hit me, and I was spinning. I was spinning around." 

Forte’s black truck finally came to a stop in the median. She was able to open the driver’s door and was immediately grateful she was alive.

Dallas police say Forte’s truck was just one of the multiple vehicles involved in a deadly weekend wreck. 

The initial crash happened when a car heading northbound collided with another vehicle, sending it across the median into southbound traffic. Two other vehicles hit it, including Forte's truck. 

"Every day I see that car heading towards me, and it's like I shake my head. It's not real, but it's real," Forte recalled.

That car ended up hitting a guardrail and flipping over before coming to a stop. The three people inside the car died. 

 Another driver, Jarodrick Smith, was taken to the hospital where he later died. 

Smith’s family shared photos of him. They said he was hard-working and loved his family. 

Forte went to the hospital as well. She has cuts, bruises and scratches from the crash. 

"I could have lost my life too, just like those four lost their lives," she said. "I don’t know why I was left here, but it could have been me."

Forte says she’s still hesitant to drive but hopes to get back behind the wheel soon.