First snowfall causes minor problems with morning commute
LAFAYETTE, Ind. ― Winter arrived Thursday over Greater Lafayette with a light dusting of snow greeting morning commuters and more expected in the afternoon.
“It’s typical first-snow-of-the-year stuff,” Tippecanoe County Emergency Management Director Jeff Houston said.
The emergency management’s website published a forecast and urged drivers to slow down and allow more travel time to cope with the snow.
“Heavier snow will arrive mid- to late afternoon and may impact the evening commute,” the website states. “Total snow is likely to be between 1 and 3 inches with some locally higher amounts. Accumulations will be highest on grassy and elevated surfaces with slushy road conditions due to warm ground temperatures.
“Wind gusts to 40 mph are possible Thursday.”
The Tippecanoe County Road 600 North overpass over Interstate 65 created some havoc for morning commuters, according to the sheriff’s office Saferwatch app. The bridge was slick and ice-covered, and the sheriff’s office bulletins indicated three cars were caught in that icy snare.
The overpass was closed until the road could be treated.
The first accident on the 600 North overpass happened around 7 a.m. Thursday, and was followed by several clusters of other accidents caused by the icy road, according to the sheriff’s office.
A second cluster of crashes was at Jackson Highway and Tippecanoe County Road 600 West, where one accident spawned at least one other, according to the sheriff’s office.
Additionally, there were single-car accidents at Tippecanoe County Roads 450 East and 800 South, as well as in the 8000 block of Grant Road.
The accidents either caused minor injuries or no injuries at all, according to the sheriff’s office.
Indiana State Police from the Lafayette Post helped the sheriff’s office with the crashes on County Road 600 North.
They also reported a minor crash on Interstate 65 near the Dayton exit and a semi rollover on Interstate 74 near Crawfordsville.
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the I-74 crash, and state police report that the bridges along I-74 are slick.
Lafayette and West Lafayette police each reported two crashes in their cities.
AAA Hoosier Motor Club offered a few winter driving tips in a news release.
“When winter weather does hit, stay home whenever possible,” the news release stated. “Keeping the roads clear of unnecessary traffic will help first responders, including roadside technicians and tow providers, do their job safely and efficiently.”
Drivers should leave more space between their car and the car ahead of them, the news release stated, suggesting that there should be at 6 seconds of distance between cars.
Driver should turn on their lights, even in the daytime, so other drivers see them, and drivers should not use their car’s cruise control because it reduces traction with the road, according to AAA Hoosier Motor Club.
“Avoid braking and turning at the same time,” the AAA news release stated. “Brake first, then turn and then accelerate. Accelerate and decelerate more slowly than you would on dry roads.”
