140 Vehicles in Killer Chain Crash

Trucks were left twisted on top of each other as emergency units rushed to lift survivors from the wreckage.

"It's catastrophic," said Jefferson County Sheriff's Office deputy Rod Carroll. "I've got cars on top of cars."

Dangerous chain

The Thursday morning crash happened on Interstate 10 about 130km east of Houston. As many as 90 people were taken to hospitals, a dozen or so in a critical condition. Carroll said the fog was so thick that officers didn't immediately realise they were dealing with multiple accidents.

The Texas Department of Public Safety reported that a crash on the eastbound side of the highway led to other accidents in a dangerous chain reaction. There were multiple crashes on the other side of the highway as well.

Trooper Stephanie Davis said the two people killed were in an SUV that was crushed by a tractor/trailer. They were identified the dead as Debra Leggio, 60, and Vincent Leggio, 64 and the highway was closed for eight hours.