This past weekend in Adams County, Pennsylvania, emergency crews had their hands full after a light snowfall caused dozens of car accidents. Though responders counted at least two dozen accidents, city officials believe there were more minor crashes that went unreported.
The snow began to fall at approximately 11 o’clock in the morning and continued on for an hour or so before stopping. As a result, the roads were covered in snow, making it difficult for drivers to tell where the patches of ice had formed. The result: multiple vehicle accidents and slow moving traffic.
Drivers were encouraged to stay off the roads until they could be cleared; some who ventured out were forced to pull over because the roads were so slippery. A tractor trailer was found jackknifed on the side of the road. Another minor accident was reported between two vehicles. Though no one was seriously injured, it was just another example of the many incidents that occurred that day.
Though there were no reports thus far of anyone being seriously injured in an accident, icy roads can often result in crashes. For example, a car cannot stop in time and drives through an intersection. Oncoming traffic does not have adequate warning to stop and the cars crash. When a driver loses control of their car because of something like an icy road, the car accident that results can cause serious injuries for both drivers.
According to the National Weather Center, the temperature was just at freezing when the snow began to fall this past weekend. And though the snowfall was fairly light, the National Weather Center warns Pennsylvania drivers that a dip in the temperature could create more ice on the roads in the next few days.
Source: Gettysburg Times online, “Slip, sliding’ away,” Scot Andrew Pitzer and Mark Walters, 10 December 2010