A Dallas woman was killed this morning in a four-vehicle accident that shut down the southbound lanes of Interstate 35E near Lake Lewisville bridge in Denton County for hours.

RACHEL SLADE/DMN

Drivers were stranded this morning on I-35 E southbound near Swisher Road.

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Virginia K. Taylor, 32, of Dallas was pronounced dead at the scene, said DPS spokesman Trooper Lonny Haschel. Ms. Taylor was struck by a pickup after she pulled over to inspect damage from a separate collision moments earlier.

At about 2:30 a.m., Krystal A. Sanchez, 30, of Lewisville was driving a 2004 Nissan 350 Z when she lost control, struck a guardrail and spun into the bridge's center southbound lane, Trooper Haschel said.

As she and passenger Michael Nations, 21, of Lewisville got out to inspect the damage, their car was hit by Matthew Davis, 23, of Grapevine, who was driving a 2000 Dodge pickup.

All three moved toward the shoulder and inspected the damage when the Nissan was struck by Ms. Taylor’s Mazda pickup. Ms. Taylor got out of her vehicle, and Mr. Nations checked on her.

A Ford pickup driven by Braden Johnson, 22, of Gainsville then struck Ms. Taylor’s pickup, which in turn hit Ms. Taylor and Mr. Nations. Mr. Nations was taken to the Medical Center of Lewisville where he was treated and released.

Ms. Sanchez has been charged with unsafe speed, Trooper Haschel said. The accidents were under investigation and created major delays for morning commuters.

"Traffic was a mess," said Hickory Creek Police Sgt. Bobby Starnes.

Some motorists who had waited for hours turned off car engines and read books while others left their cars to talk to neighbors and walk to a nearby shopping center for breakfast. The road reopened by about 7:30 a.m.

Willie Hausler, 26, of Corinth had just gotten on the interstate at about 5:30 a.m. when he sensed the backup. “I came to the top of the bridge and saw the brake lights and figured I’d just get off at that very next exit,” he said. “But I didn’t make it that far.”

He thought about walking home, but did not want to leave his car. So he went to a nearby McDonald’s and purchased breakfast.

Motorists were trying to learn the cause of the backup and relied on their radios and truck drivers with radios. Some drivers who were on frontage roads and unaware of the accident, honked their horns trying to squeeze on the interstate.

Eric Johnson, 37, of Dallas was heading home from WinStar Casino at about 5:30 a.m. when he became stuck on the overpass near Swisher Road.

“Someone called to me tell me there’s an alternate route,” he said. “I told them, ‘There’s no alternate route from here.’”

He sat in his Ford Escort with his car door open and his left leg hanging out, waiting.

Keela Bearden, 20, of Denton was headed to work at Sam's Club in Lewisville when she became stuck in traffic.

“I haven’t actually talked to anyone out here,” she said, “but I feel like I’m friends with all of them. We’re going through it together.”