Snow, ice continue to cause problems for St. Louis-area drivers – KSDK.com
Next up in 5Example video title will go here for this videoNext up in 5Example video title will go here for this videoST. LOUIS — More than 200 drivers reported being stranded across the St. Louis region as MoDOT and IDOT continue work to clear snow and ice from local highways and interstates.”We’re starting to turn the corner,” IDOT District 8 engineer Joe Monroe said. “If we could get the winds to die down a little bit more we could make some significant progress.”However, Monroe said that’s leading to some unintended consequences.”In areas where we’ve cleaned up the speed has picked up a little bit more than makes me comfortable,” Monroe said.”The speed limit is not a safe speed right now,” MSHP Cpl. Dallas Thompson said.Cpl. Dallas Thompson with the Missouri State Highway Patrol praised local drivers for taking the storm seriously.”The call volume was actually fairly light yesterday from what we’ve seen in previous snowstorms of this magnitude,” Thompson said.Missouri State Troopers have responded to more than twenty crashes in the St. Louis area, but the good news is no one was injured.”The issues we’ve seen today are stranded motorists and people getting stuck in the snow,” Thompson said.Over a 12-hour period, Thompson said Missouri State Highway Patrol received more than 220 calls from people stranded along local roads.”MoDOT did a good job of plowing the snow off the driving lanes, but then it pushes it all onto the shoulders of the roads and onto the on ramps or exit ramps of other highways,” Thompson said. “People are trying to get on or off the highway, getting in that deeper snow, and getting stuck.”Due to the sheer amount of calls MSHP is receiving, Thompson says there’s not much troopers can do to help, but he did offer some tips about what to do if your car slides off in the snow.”Stay inside your vehicle, keep the seat belt buckled while you’re sitting there waiting on help, and just be patient,” Thompson said. “We’re going to get to you just as soon as we can. A lot of times by the time we’ve gotten there other vehicles have gotten them pulled out or a MoDOT response vehicle has helped them get out and on their way. We’re all working in this together.”State troopers on both sides of the bi-state are stickering cars abandoned on the highway to show that the scene has been cleared.Typically, once a car has been stickered it must be towed within 48 hours, but due to the conditions, they’re temporarily waiving that requirement unless there is a safety issue.Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings.
