Freezing Weather causes Multiple Accidents in Jackson County

By Michael Brooks

Staff Writer

A low temperature of 24.4 degrees and a hard freeze warning was not enough to keep drivers off the roads. Jackson County ended up with 16 weather-related accidents from around 8 p.m. on January 2 until 6 a.m. on January 3.

“The largest accident involved six vehicles at the Ganado Cemetery overpass,” Volunteer Fire Chief Bernard Scott said.

The icy road accidents continued until the overpasses and bridges were sanded later that evening.

“At 7:48 a.m. we got our first (weather-related) call,” EMS #3 Captain Nick Strauss said. “It was crazy because it started at Love’s and started working its way toward Edna. Other than the one six-vehicle accident, some were single vehicle accidents hitting guardrails, and most were rollovers. Two people went to the hospital and seven people either refused treatment, or they were able to be treated at the scene.”

Sanding of overpasses and bridges began around 8 p.m. and the roadways reopened around midnight.

Jackson County wrecker services towed 10 vehicles. Most vehicles involved in the accidents either slid off the road and got stuck, or slid into a guardrail but were still drivable, and simply had to be pulled back onto the road. Some of the rollovers were able to drive away, once the vehicles were flipped back over.

Jackson County EMS responded to one wreck on I 35, one wreck on C.R. 822, one wreck on State Hwy 111, and 13 on Hwy 59.