UPDATE: Multi-vehicle accident creates logjam on I-45N (photo gallery)

UPDATE:

SPRING, Texas - Although the root cause of the accident Wednesday on I-45N which shut down two major lanes is still under investigation, Scott Harpring, the owner of Fish Tales, was able to shed more light on the incident.

“The driver of the automobile that struck the back of our catering truck was distracted. It’s still being investigated why he was distracted, but he served, then over-corrected, hitting the back of our trailer traveling at sixty miles per hour,” said Harpring. “The trailer swung to the left, then ‘fish-tailed,’ for lack of a better choice of words, to the right slamming into the guardrail.”

Harpring’s employee, who has a commercial driver’s license, said he doesn’t remember hitting the brakes, but if he had, the trailer might have flipped over on top of the truck pulling it. The employee added that the trailer was thrown approximately thirty feet in the air upon impact.

When the trailer flipped upside down, it flipped the pickup truck pulling it, on its side, also while traveling sixty miles per hour. Both Fish Tales employees in the truck were uninjured. Neither was the driver who hit them. The accident was reported as a three vehicular accident, with the truck and trailer accounting for two of the three. Three people were involved, but just two drivers. No other vehicles were involved.

“I just want to add that the officers working the scene did a phenomenal job. We had propane in the catering trailer and cooking oil all over the place. They were pretty anxious; they took every precaution,” said Harpring.

Harpring’s said service at their three Fish Tales locations in Conroe, Humble, and New Caney, won’t be affected, but their catering service will be a bit compressed to three rigs, instead of four.

“We’ll make do until we can get the rig replaced,” said Harpring.

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UPDATE:

Conroe Today is relieved to report that all three drivers in the 3-vehicle accident on I-45N Wednesday, were reported as "OK" per Scott Harpring, the owner of Fish Tales in Conroe. Per Harpring, his truck was struck from behind.

See additional pictures by clicking on View More Photos. (Additional photos courtesy of Scott Harpring.)

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

SPRING, Texas - Traffic on I-45N was forced into a squeeze play Wednesday, when two northbound lanes were closed due to a 3-vehicle accident, in which a truck was flipped upside down.

The accident took place under the Hardy Toll Road ramp at approximately 1:45 p.m, during a rain shower that passed over the area. The right and center lane were blocked by emergency vehicles while the investigation took place. Traffic northbound eventually backed up to Airtex. The southbound side of I-45N slowed down in the area, backing traffic up to Rayford/Sawdust.

The scene was eventually cleared by 5:00 p.m., but no injuries have been reported at this time.