A winter storm of snow, freezing rain and bone-chilling temperatures socked the nation’s mid-section and East Coast on Saturday, causing hundreds of accidents on icy roads resulting in multiple tragic fatalities.
At least nine deaths were blamed on the slick roads and authorities were investigating a few other traffic fatalities as possibly weather-related. Perhaps the biggest accident happened in Baltimore, when a tanker carrying gasoline skidded off a highway and exploded, authorities said.
Two people died in the nearly 70-vehicle pileup on Interstate 95, authorities said. Hospital officials said nearly two dozen people were treated for injuries including broken bones and head trauma.
Baltimore City Fire Chief Roman Clark said it was too early to determine the cause of the crash.
It was unclear whether the pileup started before the tanker crash or was caused by it. The northbound lanes of I-95 were closed while crews cleaned up the mess.
Winter weather advisories were posted from Denver to Bangor, Maine. Airports reported hundreds of flight delays or cancellations, interstates and toll roads reduced speed limits and authorities urged drivers to use extreme caution.
The nasty weather put a damper on holiday plans for Luke Perez, who was hoping to make it home to Los Angeles on Saturday for a family party. Perez’s flight out of D.C., where he is in graduate school, was canceled, so he said he’s going to try again Sunday or Monday.
“My family has a Christmas party … and I was hoping to make it to that tonight, but that’s not going to happen anymore,” the 23-year-old said.
There were dozens of crashes in Indiana — two of them involving fatalities — due to freezing rain and ice, officials said. It was not immediately clear how many people were killed. The roads were so slick that authorities had to move motorists stranded on an overpass with a ladder.
In Ohio, a Columbus woman died Saturday when her car skidded off a slick road, authorities said. In another accident in Baltimore, six people were taken to the hospital after a crash on I-695 involving 15 to 20 vehicles, Baltimore County tweeted. In Nebraska, Douglas County Sheriff’s deputies said one person was killed Friday night when his car slid off an icy road north of Omaha, hit a tree and burst into flames.
Temperatures plummeted and people braced for the cold. Temperatures in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area were expected to drop to minus-20 degrees overnight. People were advised to stay indoors for the weekend. The low temperature was expected to reach 4 degrees in Chicago on Sunday.
Portions of six states, from Missouri to Mississippi, were under the threat of tornadoes or severe thunderstorms.
In Virginia, a Fairfax County fire truck slid off an icy road while responding to a crash, local news media reported. No one was injured.
Meanwhile, more than three dozen crashes and a fatality were reported in the northern part of the state, authorities said. Police said a man was found dead on the side of I-495, about a mile from a 23-vehicle crash. It appears the man was involved in the crash and had walked away from disabled vehicle. It wasn’t immediately clear how the man died.
At least three highway deaths Friday in Missouri are being blamed on icy conditions. The Missouri State Highway Patrol crash reports ay a 13-year-old girl died from injuries suffered in an accident when a tractor-trailer lost control on ice on Interstate 44, striking a Jeep Renegade driven by the girl’s mother. Reports say two men, ages 72 and 56, died in separate accidents when the vehicles they were in went out of control on ice.
In Colorado, up to a foot of snow fell in places, snarling traffic. Even weather-hardened locals apparently had trouble driving.
“I worked for the fire department for 45 years, and we used to call this highway hockey because people keep bumping into each other,” said Kevin Sweeney, of Brighton, a town about 20 miles northeast of Denver. “I think it’s that first big snow thing.”
In North Carolina, police and emergency workers reported more than 100 crashes overnight in Raleigh and Charlotte as the drizzle combined with temperatures below freezing to create dangerous icy patches.
Charlotte police reported two people killed in separate fatal crashes early Saturday, although investigators were still trying to figure out if ice caused the wrecks.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Here in Montana our idiot Democrat Govenor Bullock wasted tax payers money by increasing our state hyway speed to 80 mph from 75- people were already driving over 100 mph. Now some are driving responsible on our slick roads- but many still driving 100 , bad combination. The idiots driving 100 on black ice think they are the worlds best drivers. They are the most dangerous drivers on our roads. We can thank Gov. Bullock, increased fatalities should be on him. People are also driving 80 on our posted 35 mph streets, maddening.
About six months ago I had seen Oregon state has also raised their speed limit 10mph. 65mph for trucks on interstates now. Not only that, the limit was raised accordingly on slow speed curves. These should not have been increased. Even though interstates are federal, each state regulates limits within their boundaries. This stinks of federal action. Pressure on the states. This will likely increase death tolls on the highways. Current (previous 8 years) administration is sure to have something to do with this.
In Oregon state, drivers also were driving 5-10mph over limit before changes. Eventually, even with 10 mph increase, people will slowly, over time be seen to drive beyond new limits. This in a state that used to operate very strictly concerning speed limits, for many years. Any older drivers out there, know exactly what I’m talking about. The ‘O’ administration is certainly behind this. Oregon, whose governor reeks of communism, being one of the two northern most counties of California, this would not surprise me at all, that the Fed. Gov. May be involved. We’ll see what happens in the left state of Washington next. I know this. I was born and raised there. Unions march to the left here.
Yeah, they will probably blame it on “Global Warming”…
Or Trump. He’s the devil in their eyes. How’s that Climate Change working out for you liberals?
Lmao
Ask any American Truck Driver and he will tell you one important thing the Govt state, local, or federal like to make laws but really when it comes to bad weather such as snow and ice you are on your own. I watch the weather forecast a day ahead of time and all networks can be calling for snow and ice and no one does a thing. Even after several inches and several wrecks later nothing.
The only time they believe in a supreme being is they believe if God put down he will take it away. I am not referring to some States but there are a lot who believe this way and people notice. Just ask a professional Truck Driver. They will also tell you they don’t like driving in this type of weather either but if they don’t roll what mess this country would be in
The truck drivers put too much value on their jobs. If they don’t roll the country won’t suffer. When they do roll the country suffers. They block the highways and keep cars from passing, they drive faster than they can control in any situation and they kill countless people. Large, semi trucks should be banned entirely and shipping done by train. They should definitely be banned on wet, snowy or icy roads. Large trucks, sem8 trucks, are death to innocents waiting to happen. There is no excuse for it.
Dan Stiverson……..You sir are a stupid ass. Have you ever seen a train delivering groceries to your local super market?? I am a retired truck driver with 5.5 million safe driving miles. Driving in the south 48 and Canada. No accidents and no tickets of any kind. I had a video camera mounted on my dash for about twenty years recording all the time I drove. My camera saved several truck drivers ass when the driver of a four wheeler said the truck driver hit him in the ass. Yes he did…… after the four wheeler darted from the far left lane to try to get off a ramp causing the accident. You should see the stupid look on their face when the tape was played in court. You should ride with a trucker for a week then see what you think about them. You might just change your attitude about them.
You know absolutely nothing about the trucking industry, what it takes to keep this countries economic infrastructure intact and people fed and warm at night. People like you make me f-ing sick. People like you cause many of the accidents and death on the highways. Have seen it to many times.Idiots driving cars are the true danger. Put me on ice, snow, high winds anytime. If you don’t like it, get the h-ll out.
While vacationing in beautiful 80° Hawaii, Barack Obama set down his tropical drink served in a coconut shell long enough to say, “Those winter conditions are awful. I called Putin and told him to cut it out.”
funny!!
Hilarious, thanks for the laugh.
Latest from the feckless Hillary Clinton campaign:
Glad it’s happening mainly in those “red” states.
Yeah, we stay cool, fresh and crisp because of the ice and cold, so our brains are sharp and DON’T shrink because those few blue states have it too warm all year round…
I’m so glad I moved to the south. I hated driving on a concrete ice ring every winter. I do miss the snow and skiing but so glad I’m not driving on it. Condolences to those killed and their families. Hope those badly injured make a quick recovery. I always hate to see deaths and injuries during the Holiday season.
I thought people put chains or
Cables on
Their tires and drove slowly.
Lived in s dak. Have they changed
The rules.
I would suggest people go check out the You Tube channel BPEarthWatch, this guy is really good at explaining what is going on. Be safe out there and have a Merry Christmas. God Bless all of you and your families.
Truckers HAVE to drive in all kinds of weather to keep our stores supplied. It’s you other idiots that need to stay off the roads in this kind of weather. Sorry for all
the lost lives!
Well there goes the BS about Global Warming it is really about global chilling and normal weather changes since the planet began.