missouri highway patrol

Drivers in region slip-sliding away on icy roads
Sunday, December 9, 2007
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By Kelly Wilson

Herald-Whig Staff Writer

Travel was treacherous on Saturday as ice-covered roads led to numerous traffic crashes in West-Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri.

Occasional freezing rain is expected to continue falling today.

"The roads are deceptively slick," Sgt. Bill Wilson of the Adams County Sheriff's Department said Saturday night. "They don't look slick for the most part, but the mist is freezing and they're getting extremely slick."

He said many motorists weren't being as cautious as they should be considering the conditions.

"We had cars passing us while we were going to calls with our lights on," he said.

Wilson said the slick conditions contributed to three or four rollover accidents in Adams County, as well as several two-car accidents and "countless" cars sliding off into ditches.

"(Ill.) 104 was terrible, the interstate (I-72) was terrible, and (Ill.) 96 and some of the side roads were naturally in pretty bad shape," Wilson said. "We really didn't have anything on (U.S.) 24."

He said a couple of people were transported to Blessing Hospital for

treatment, but there were no major injuries as of 6:30 p.m.

"Stay home if you don't have to get out," Wilson warned. For those who must drive, "slow way down. The roads might look fine, and they might be fine in one stretch, but by the time you realize it's slick, it might be too late."

The National Weather Service has issued an ice storm advisory for portions of Central and Northeast Missouri and West-Central Illinois through 6 p.m. tonight. Periods of freezing rain also are expected Monday night and Tuesday, with a chance of freezing rain Tuesday night and Wednesday.

In Quincy, the NWS said the total ice accumulation overnight could be two-tenths to four-tenths of an inch. Today's forecast calls for occasional freezing rain with a high near 27 and a north wind between 11 and 13 miles per hour. New ice accumulation of one-tenth to three-tenths of an inch is possible today.

"My suggestion to folks is if you don't have to go out, don't go, and if you have to go out be very, very cautious," said Sgt. Duane Long of the Quincy Police Department.

Long said a couple of officers were called in early on Saturday to respond to accidents caused by icy conditions.

"Quincy does have areas with hills, and those tend to be a little more dangerous than normal," he said. "The street crews are out and they're doing the best they can with it."

Long said major roads may be in good condition, but motorists need to be cautious and travel slowly on side streets.

"If you're on one of the main streets, you might get lulled into a false sense of security ... and then you go on one of the side streets," he said.

Icy conditions caused three one-vehicle accidents in Northeast Missouri on Saturday morning, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Susan K. Garner, 46, of Hannibal, received minor injuries in an accident at 9:20 a.m. on U.S. 36 North Outer Road, one mile west of Hannibal. The 2004 Jeep she was driving west lost control on the ice-covered road, went off the right side of the road and hit an embankment. She was transported by Marion County Ambulance to Hannibal Regional Hospital.

Just five minutes later, the Highway Patrol responded to a crash on U.S. 24, three miles south of Palmyra.

A car driven north by Terry D. Echternacht, 64, of Macon lost control on the slick road, veered off the left side of the road and hit an embankment. He and a passenger, Sheryl A. Echternacht, 50, of Macon, both received moderate injuries and were taken by Marion County Ambulance to Hannibal Regional Hospital.

At 10:20 a.m., the Highway Patrol responded to a rollover crash on U.S. 36, four miles east of Monroe City. Terry W. Langley, 49, of Shelbyville, received moderate injuries after the vehicle he was driving east lost control on the icy road, went off the right side of the road and overturned several times, coming to rest on its side. Langley was taken by Monroe City Ambulance to Hannibal Regional Hospital.

All of those involved in the three crashes were wearing seat belts, the Highway Patrol said.

The Marion County Sheriff's Department assisted at all three accident scenes. The Palmyra Police Department and Palmyra Rural Fire assisted at the Palmyra accident and the Monroe City Fire and EMS assisted at the Monroe City crash.

An Arkansas man and Missouri woman were seriously injured Saturday afternoon when the man failed to yield at a stop sign on a Barry County highway, the Missouri Highway Patrol reported.
Paul A. Morris, 28, of Elkins, Ark., and Jennifer Tindall, 25, of Cassville were taken to Cox South hospital in Springfield after the incident, which occurred about 12:30 p.m.

According to the patrol, the pair was traveling east on Missouri 37 near Cassville when Morris failed to yield to the signal. The SUV the man was driving was then broadsided by a pickup truck, the report said.

Three people in the pickup truck suffered only minor injuries.