KAIT-Jonesboro, AR-News, weather, sports, classifieds-Heavy ice - related 911 call volume

Heavy ice - related 911 call volume

By Keith Boles - bio | email feedback

JONESBORO, AR (KAIT) -It's the kind of day that makes 911 operators wish they could have rolled over and gone back to sleep.

Although Thursday mornings snow was not particularly heavy it quickly stuck to the near freezing roads and was polished to a slick mirror like finish.

Slick roads relates to lots of 911 calls....All morning long.

911 Director Jeff Presley says the morning started out with a bang and a Moo!

"Well we started out with a truck running through a fence at highway 63 and Dan Avenue and some cattle getting out."

And like the snowflakes falling the calls kept coming.

Presley, "Probably about 30 calls."

And that was before 10 am.

Even though many were driving slowly on the icy roads, around Craighead County others were not having such a great day. Cars off into ditches or slipping off corners.

Presley, "But nothing big. We had one accident Ease of Monette that caused a backup in traffic with minor injuries."

Besides accidents another problem presented itself.

"Railroad tracks. We had a situation where cars trying to get over the grade was actually stalled on the track."

A few passes with a sander at crossings around the city took care of that problem.

With this being the first snow event of the year Presley says most of us are out of practice, especially with the braking aspect.

"If you brake too hard, good chance you're going to go into the ditch."

Besides keeping police and other emergency vehicles busy as well. Presley says they were keeping the towing companies busy as well.

"Yeah we've got about 18 different companies on our rotation list and we've called several this morning. Some of them we've called more than once today."

And some numbers, according to Presley, E911 dispatched to 39 motor vehicle accidents, 5 stalled stuck vehicles on the roads. 6 Craighead County first responders for accident assists and 1 house fire...All before 4 PM.

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