REGION – The Minnesota State Patrol’s West Central Region sergeant said late Tuesday night that the number of crashes due to the first snowstorm of the season was beginning to decrease.
“But people are still slipping and sliding,” Sergeant Jesse Grabow told Flag Family News late Tuesday night.
The Minnesota State Patrol responded to 27 crashes between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the west central region of Minnesota. Of those crashes, only one non-life-threatening injury was reported.
There were two chain-reaction crashes involving multiple semis, including one near Downer.
“It was just very significant to say the least,” Grabow said. “(It was) fortunate all of those really nobody got hurt, that is the miraculous thing. But it’s one of those things, when we’re dealing with slippery conditions and things like that, limited visibility because the winds were increasing at the time, reducing the visibility for folks that were trying to travel the area.”
Grabow said troopers began receiving calls for service at around 9 a.m. Tuesday for a crash.
“Then it went throughout the night,” he said. “it’s cold. It’s blowing out there. The roads are still slippery, people just got to take their time and use good common sense when traveling.”
Troopers in Minnesota say several vehicles slipped off the road and got stuck. A total of 75 vehicles ran off the road and required trooper and tow assistance.
“It comes down to folks just driving too fast for conditions and you’re probably going along just fine, but also some things change and you yourself might be a very good driver, but now that vehicle front starts to break loose, fishtail, spins out,” Grabow said. “Can you avoid the hazard that they just created?”
He also noticed a number of vehicles that had tires ‘at the bare minimum.’
“Not legal. Not safe. Not smart,” he said. “Make sure you’re running good tires in the vehicle now this time of year.”
His message is simple – be prepared.
“It’s Thanksgiving upon us,” Grabow said. “Winter is here. Be prepared. You really got to have the Snowbrush and the ice scrapers.”
He also cautions people to plan ahead by checking the 5-1-1 websites.
“They have a lot of that information, as far as closures, hazards, things like that,” Grabow said. “Just to help keep you informed and hopefully help keep you safe.”
