Local auto body shop owners explain why drivers should not put off ice-related repairs

FORT WORTH, Texas — There’s a cause Ken Mathieu is aware of lots about auto body restore work. He owns and operates Ken’s Body & Fender Works on Crowley Road in Fort Worth. He’s been on the identical location for the previous 35 years. Not solely is his son a talented auto body restore professional, however so is considered one of his grandsons. 

Ken Mathieu stated, “Started this when I was 16 years old. Coming up on 72 now.”

Ken has seen all of it. Now, he stated he expects to see rather more after this week’s ice storm.

“Usually its front bumpers get knocked off because they’re all rubber nowadays and suspension or when they slide into a curve real hard,” stated Ken Mathieu.

Since the winter climate hit Monday, emergency crews have responded to ice storm-related automobile accidents starting from slide-offs to fender benders to deadly crashes. 

Just after 11 p.m. Thursday after an excellent Samaritan stopped to assist a stranded driver on Highway 287 close to Berry Street, they have been struck by a 3rd driver who did not survive. The good Samaritan suffered non-life-threatening accidents.

Then, simply 45 minutes later on the Highway 360 and 183 interchange, a driver died after crashing into the again of a stalled automobile within the northbound lane of the freeway. 

That identical evening, a semi-truck driver on East Loop 820 on the John T. White Street exit misplaced management on the ice and misplaced the tractor-trailer. During a separate crash on Loop 820, an SUV driver crashed right into a Fort Worth Fire Truck. There have been no critical accidents.

Ken Mathieu stated, “People think because it’s only a half-inch thick that they can drive right through it.”

Ken warns in case you’ve had a mishap behind the wheel, do not put off repairs as a result of it might result in much more costly repairs. 

“If the suspension is not right, you’re better off taking it and having the tires balanced again and have a front-end alignment done on it,” stated Ken Mathieu. 

Other North Texas auto restore outlets shared with WFAA they’re additionally bracing for the inflow of restore requests associated to the ice storm.