Winter weather causes a busy night for local 911
By Kathy Plum and Will Dean
Newsroom@DominionPost.com
KINGWOOD — Preston 911 got about 25 calls from motorists after snow blanketed the county Monday night.
The calls were from motorists who slid into the ditch or got into accidents, according to the 911 center.
From 10 p.m. Monday — roughly when the snow started falling — to 10 a.m. Tuesday, there were seven vehicle crashes in Monongalia County, according to MECCA 911 Director Jim Smith.
The last was reported at 9:22 a.m. Tuesday and no injuries were reported, he said. Two occurred on Interstate 79 and one on Interstate 68. Tyrone Avery Road, South Pierpont and the Mon-Fayette Expressway also had crashes.
Kingwood City Supervisor Bruce Pyles said roads were snow-covered and slick when he went to work about 4 a.m.
“We had our trucks ready. We knew it was coming,” Pyles said.
Kingwood has four plow trucks. Two have cinderboxes as well. Street crews went on 12-hour shifts when the snow started.
Pyles estimated Kingwood spreads about 100 tons of cinders each winter and 28-30 tons of salt. Fire and ambulance priority routes are cleared first, then other streets.
“We try to do our best,” Pyles said. About 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, city roads were in “pretty good” shape, he said, but the snow was expected to continue to fall overnight.
Several roads in Kingwood are owned by the state and tended by the State Division of Highways. Those include W.Va. 7 and 26, Brown Avenue, Kevin Lane, South Price Street, Sisler Street, Seemont Drive, King Drive, Scott Lane, Sharon Lane, Western Drive, Miller Road, East High Street and West High Street.
Kingwood Council has petitioned the state to return control of some of those roads to the city. The state asked to keep South Price Street and Brown Avenue, so it can plow a loop around the area. Negotiations are ongoing.
Smith said as winter weather moves in it’s important to slow down. He suggested drivers leave early so there’s plenty of time to get to their destinations. It’s also best to keep a safe distance between vehicles.
Smith also suggested people carry a bag of salt or ice melt in their vehicles. He keeps a bag in all of his vehicles and has used it several times. Often, it’s enough to help a stuck vehicle gain traction.
People should also keep a blanket and ample gas in their vehicles so if they do get stuck, they can stay warm until help arrives.
For large winter storms, the MECCA 911 center increases staffing because “we pretty much get slammed,” Smith said.
Each wreck can get 20-30 calls and when there are wrecks across town at the same time “the phones really light up back there,” he said.
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