Patchy black ice and a dusting of snow on local roads kept the troopers of Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop I busy early Monday morning as they responded to and investigated 61 accidents in which inclement weather was cited as a contributing factor.
Of the 61 accidents, only four of them involved minor to moderate injuries. No fatalities were reported.
MSHP Sgt. Dan Crain was at the scene of two of the accidents near the Big Piney River.
“The accidents could’ve been more serious, but the occupants were wearing their seat belts,” Crain said.
With the temperature dipping to 28 degrees with a light snowfall in the early-morning hours, many of the overpasses were frozen.
“Road conditions change very quickly,” Crain explained. “Some motorists adjust their speeds up, and then they hit a bad spot.”
Rolla Police Chief Mark Kearse said RPD officers responded to 21 accidents between 3:15 and 8:40 a.m.
“Whenever the weather changes, many drivers assume it’s not as bad as it really is,” Kearse said. “Motorists need to adjust their driving to weather conditions — cut back on the speed, drive slower and be aware of your surroundings.”
Kearse said officers increasingly are experiencing close call situations brought on by motorists who do not slow down or move over when they approach accidents.
“By law, motorists are supposed to move over a lane whenever they approach emergency personnel or vehicles at an accident. Also, watch the traffic around and behind you,” Kearse said.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported 11 people throughout the state died as a result of 488 traffic crashes throughout the Thanksgiving holiday. Two of the victims died as a result of accidents near Rolla.
Glenda K. Dowler, 59, of Lee’s Summit, died when she was ejected from her vehicle when it overturned.
Dowler ran off the right side of Missouri Highway 68, overcorrected the steering, slid off the right side of the road and overturned, according to the MSHP report.
The accident occurred two miles north of St. James.
A passenger in Dowler’s car sustained minor injuries, and both occupants were wearing seatbelts.
Phelps County Coroner Larry Swinfard pronounced Dowler dead at the scene.
St. James Fire and Ambulance also responded to the crash.
James L. Goodrich, 52, of Crocker, died when the motorcycle he was driving ran off the right side of Missouri Highway 17 and crashed into a ditch. The accident occurred four miles north of Waynesville, according to the MSHP report.
Goodrich was pronounced dead at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield.
Phelps County Sheriff’s Department deputies were called out to assist at 29 of the weather-related accidents throughout the county from 3:49 to 9 a.m. Monday.
No injuries were reported, and many of the calls resulted in pulling motorists out of ditches, said PCSD Detective Andy Davis.
The Transportation Department of the Rolla School District confirmed no school buses were involved in any of the Monday morning accidents.
“We’re real proud of our drivers — and the cooperation of parents,” said Bill Rhodes, assistant director of transportation.
Rolla National Airport reported one-fourth to one-half inch of snow on the runways, but no flight delays or cancellations occurred, said Wesley Faulkner, airport manager.
Other holiday travel statistics released by local law enforcement agencies include the number of people arrested for driving while they were intoxicated.
The MSHP reported 8 arrests for DWI; PCSD reported 5 arrests for DWI; and RPD reported 3 arrests for DWI. All these arrests were made from Wednesday through Sunday.
Two of the RPD arrests were the result of an overtime grant that allowed officers to spend an additional 44 hours for traffic enforcement to make the holiday safer for motorists. The grant also resulted in a total of 58 contacts for hazardous driving and 28 contacts for speeding.
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Patchy black ice and a dusting of snow on local roads kept the troopers of Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop I busy early Monday morning as they responded to and investigated 61 accidents in which inclement weather was cited as a contributing factor.
Of the 61 accidents, only four of them involved minor to moderate injuries. No fatalities were reported.
MSHP Sgt. Dan Crain was at the scene of two of the accidents near the Big Piney River.
“The accidents could’ve been more serious, but the occupants were wearing their seat belts,” Crain said.
With the temperature dipping to 28 degrees with a light snowfall in the early-morning hours, many of the overpasses were frozen.
“Road conditions change very quickly,” Crain explained. “Some motorists adjust their speeds up, and then they hit a bad spot.”
Rolla Police Chief Mark Kearse said RPD officers responded to 21 accidents between 3:15 and 8:40 a.m.
“Whenever the weather changes, many drivers assume it’s not as bad as it really is,” Kearse said. “Motorists need to adjust their driving to weather conditions — cut back on the speed, drive slower and be aware of your surroundings.”
Kearse said officers increasingly are experiencing close call situations brought on by motorists who do not slow down or move over when they approach accidents.
“By law, motorists are supposed to move over a lane whenever they approach emergency personnel or vehicles at an accident. Also, watch the traffic around and behind you,” Kearse said.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported 11 people throughout the state died as a result of 488 traffic crashes throughout the Thanksgiving holiday. Two of the victims died as a result of accidents near Rolla.
Glenda K. Dowler, 59, of Lee’s Summit, died when she was ejected from her vehicle when it overturned.
Dowler ran off the right side of Missouri Highway 68, overcorrected the steering, slid off the right side of the road and overturned, according to the MSHP report.
The accident occurred two miles north of St. James.
A passenger in Dowler’s car sustained minor injuries, and both occupants were wearing seatbelts.
Phelps County Coroner Larry Swinfard pronounced Dowler dead at the scene.
St. James Fire and Ambulance also responded to the crash.
James L. Goodrich, 52, of Crocker, died when the motorcycle he was driving ran off the right side of Missouri Highway 17 and crashed into a ditch. The accident occurred four miles north of Waynesville, according to the MSHP report.
Goodrich was pronounced dead at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield.
Phelps County Sheriff’s Department deputies were called out to assist at 29 of the weather-related accidents throughout the county from 3:49 to 9 a.m. Monday.
No injuries were reported, and many of the calls resulted in pulling motorists out of ditches, said PCSD Detective Andy Davis.
The Transportation Department of the Rolla School District confirmed no school buses were involved in any of the Monday morning accidents.
“We’re real proud of our drivers — and the cooperation of parents,” said Bill Rhodes, assistant director of transportation.
Rolla National Airport reported one-fourth to one-half inch of snow on the runways, but no flight delays or cancellations occurred, said Wesley Faulkner, airport manager.
Other holiday travel statistics released by local law enforcement agencies include the number of people arrested for driving while they were intoxicated.
The MSHP reported 8 arrests for DWI; PCSD reported 5 arrests for DWI; and RPD reported 3 arrests for DWI. All these arrests were made from Wednesday through Sunday.
Two of the RPD arrests were the result of an overtime grant that allowed officers to spend an additional 44 hours for traffic enforcement to make the holiday safer for motorists. The grant also resulted in a total of 58 contacts for hazardous driving and 28 contacts for speeding.
