09/18/2026
When You Stop to Help, Stop to Protect Yourself Too
Lessons from Friday's fatal crash on I-35W
Early Friday morning, an 18-year-old named Habib Dwabe did something admirable: he saw a crash on I-35W in Fort Worth and pulled over to help. Moments later, he was struck by a passing vehicle and killed. Another driver then hit the same scene. What should have been a good deed turned into a tragedy — and a stretch of interstate was shut down for hours as a result.
Stories like this are a hard reminder that roadside emergencies are dangerous for everyone nearby, not just the people in the original crash.
If You Stop to Help
Pull as far off the roadway as possible — full shoulder, not just partially out of the lane.
Turn on hazard lights immediately, and use flares or reflective triangles if you have them.
Stay behind the guardrail or off the traffic side of the vehicle whenever you can.
If it's dark, a highway, or high-speed traffic, consider calling 911 and waiting at a safe distance instead of approaching the vehicles directly.
If You're Driving Past a Scene
Slow down and move over — most states, including Texas, have "Move Over" laws requiring drivers to change lanes or slow significantly for stopped emergency vehicles and, in many cases, any stopped vehicle with hazards on.
Never assume the person on the shoulder sees you. Adjust your path early.
Resist the urge to rubberneck — distraction near an active scene is exactly how secondary crashes happen.
A Familiar and Preventable Pattern
Fort Worth police haven't finished their investigation into what led to Friday's crash, but the pattern is familiar: an initial accident, a bystander trying to do the right thing, and a second collision that turns a bad situation fatal. Secondary crashes at roadside scenes are a well-documented risk — which is exactly why slowing down and giving room matters, even when nothing looks obviously wrong.
Drive safe out there, and if you can, give people on the shoulder more room than you think they need.
https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/traffic/fatal-crash-closes-portions-of-i-35w-in-fort-worth/4079055/