Dense fog over weekend causes several crashes

Numerous crashes snarled traffic in the Austin area Monday morning as a blanket of dense fog rolled in during the morning commute.

According to the National Weather Service, fog limited visibility in some areas to less than a quarter of a mile before 9 a.m. Authorities across Travis County responded to several crashes in the haze, and one of them resulted in the death of a motorcyclist.

The man, in his 40s, died in Pflugerville about 6:30 a.m. after slamming into a semitrailer in the 18600 block of North Heatherwilde Boulevard.

Authorities did not immediately release his name.

Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services crews were initially called to the crash site after receiving reports of a man pinned beneath the semi. Authorities pronounced him dead shortly after arrival.

About 20 minutes later, a Leander school district bus was involved in a crash while on its route. A district spokesman said the bus struck another vehicle as it was turning onto Steiner Ranch Boulevard from RM 620.

Around 8 a.m., a crash on Interstate 35 in South Austin also caused some delays. According to the Austin Police Department, four cars were involved in the crash and a portion of the highway was briefly blocked near Slaughter Lane.

National Weather Service meteorologist Cory Van Pelt said fog is normal in Central Texas this time of year but difficult to predict.

“There are so many specific situations that lead to it that you don’t see it until right before it happens,” Van. Pelt said.
Forecasters are not expecting any major fog through the rest of the week.