Accident rates rise as snowy roads melt

Friday, January 30, 2009

By Rayma Silvers

The Fort Scott Tribune

In spite of warmer temperatures across the area, county and state law enforcement officers responded to six separate car wrecks on U.S. Highway 69 Wednesday morning.

According to Bourbon County Sheriff Ron Gray, Wednesday's weather conditions were misleading, causing motorists to be taken off guard when they happened onto a slick spot in the road.

"I thought things were going to melt off, but then the wind picked up and made surface temperatures colder," Gray said. "It turned everything into black ice, and it caught people by surprise."

Out of the six crashes on the highway, only two injured anyone, according to Gray.

In one of the injury accidents worked by the Kansas Highway Patrol, 17-year-old Lynette Reehl, who was driving a 2000 Chevrolet S-10 pick-up truck northbound on U.S. 69, lost control of the vehicle while changing lanes. Reehl's vehicle slid into the median and rolled over, according to the KHP. Reehl was transported to Mercy Health Center to receive treatment for wounds suffered during the incident.

According to Gray, the driver of a Jeep Liberty, who lost control of the vehicle and rolled it, was injured but did not wish to be transported to the hospital in the ambulance.

While he was on the highway responding to one of the crashes, Gray said he spotted several drivers who struggled to maintain control of their vehicles because of the icy conditions of the highway. In fact, Gray said many drivers who temporarily lost control and drove off the highway were lucky to escape down the road without injuring themselves or wrecking their cars.

Gray added that between Fort Scott and just north of the county line there were about 25 fresh tire marks where it appeared various vehicles had slid off the road. According to Gray, it is important for drivers to continue driving cautiously even when it looks as if the worst of the weather has passed by the local area.

"We had a number of close calls," Gray said. "I saw several lose control and slide around. As long as temperatures are low and there's a possibility of the wind coming up, drivers should be extra cautious."