Numerous Wrecks Reported as Winter Storm Hits Area

An overturned vehicle on Holly Street in Vass. There were numerous accidents Friday during a winter storm that left roads coated with ice. Frank Staples

As of Saturday, January 26, 2013

Numerous wrecks were reported all around the county Friday and early Saturday after a winter storm brought a mix of rain, freezing rain and sleet, making road conditions extremely hazardous.

Authorities had urged people to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary until temperatures got above freezing Saturday.

Emergency responders were busy Friday afternoon trying to respond to all of the traffic accidents. Many were blamed on black ice.

Roads and other surfaces were later coated by sleet. There were several reports of overturned vehicles. At least one serious wreck involved a motorist being pinned in a vehicle.

At one point Friday afternoon, responders were handling three wrecks simultaneously on the U.S. 1 bypass.

Public and private schools as well as Sandhills Community College closed early Friday. The Moore County Schools also cancelled all extracurricular activities, including athletic games, Friday night.

Areas of light snow, sleet and freezing rain began moving across the central part of the state before noon Friday, according to the National Weather Service in Raleigh. After a brief break, more widespread precipitation moved in during the afternoon, with temperatures dropping into the upper 20s.

Local municipal and N.C. Department of Transporta-tion crews began pretreating roads and taking other steps to prepare for the storm earlier in the week. Crews used a salt-water mixture called brine to help prevent snow and ice from bonding to the pavement.

The high temperature is expected to reach the mid-40s today and upper 50s on Monday. By Tuesday, the area could see the temperature hit 70.

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RD28327 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Any word on whether athletic events scheduled for tonight will be postponed?

jat 3 months, 4 weeks ago

All athletic contests are supposed to be cancelled for tonight.

plato 3 months, 4 weeks ago

It would have been nice to be notified before 6:30am this morning so i could have made arrangements to pick up my son. Now i am having to take off work because there is no one else to get him. Thats a loss of income for me.... Thanks Moore County Schools

JJ 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Well... this story doesn't have a political bend to it... YET. Let's get the party started: I'm sure the Republican wind bags on this site will find a way to blame Obama for this. And how about BIG GOVERNMENT wasting my tax dollars on brine? COMMON!!! How DARE they infringe upon my rights to slide all over the road? After all... that's what GOD intended. If we were supposed to have brined roads, we would have been born with brined roads. We can always shoot traction holes in the roads with our Bushmaster Baby Killers. We don't need no stinkin brine!

JAP 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Hey JJ,

If Bush was responsible for Katrina, certainly Obama can be responsible for this, right?

JAP

Courseaire 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Hey JJ & JAP, I'd blame it on God, but there is no god.

foregolf 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Plato- Really? I don't know how long you have lived in the area but if it has been for any length of time, you can usually predict the schools decisions based on watching the news. When would it be convenient for you to be notified? If you were called last night, would you have been able to make arrangements for your child? Or maybe if you were watching the news, you would have noticed the potential for bad weather and maybe, called some family/friends to have them on standby to pick up for you. Don't blame the MCS for you loosing time at work. They do a great job of communicating with families as soon as any decision regarding the schools are concerned.

Yukonjohn 3 months, 4 weeks ago

foregolf, l have to agree with you. Make decisions on your own, you do not have to be told what to do by the school board.

I do not get involved in local issues on this forum, but l want to just wish ya'll well and hope you will be extra safe in this weather. Drive slow, no slower!! Do not turn rapidly, do not brake rapidly, do not accellerate quickly. All these things will make you slide. SLOW DOWN. Cars roll fine on ice, they do not stop, go, turn easily on ice. Please be careful so you will be here for the next ice storm. We are having bad weather here too....the temp is dropping 5 degrees an hour and is at 32 below zero so far and headed for the 50s below by tonight....a different kind of winter problem for us.

herecomesthescience 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Another agree with foregolf! If you see a good chance of ice/snow here, be ready for Moore county schools to delay/release early/close. Now I can't wait for the next swarm of commenters to complain about the early release because there is not enough ice on the ground, the same folks who would go mental if they decided the other way around and did not call off school . There is no way to please the parents in Moore county on this issue, really silly.

cdm1mom 3 months, 4 weeks ago

I am a parent and I think they did the right thing. No complaints!

NewspaperReader 3 months, 4 weeks ago

JJ - "Well... this story doesn't have a political bend to it... YET."

Clearly, there doesn't have to be a political bend to it for you to inject politics.

debsalomon 3 months, 4 weeks ago

For Plato: What kind of Scrooge is your employer, to dock wages because you had to pick up a child at school for weather-related reasons? Reminder to my fellow four-wheel drivers: not this, nor anti-lock brakes, nor snow tires help much on ice. Learned that the hard way, driving Subarus for 50 years in northern Vermont and Canada. At least the danger is short-lived. As Annie sang: "The sun'll be out....tomorrow."

alladat1 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Hey JJ - Is that the only song you know?

skylinefirepest 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Guys, this morning at ten and we already have had four wrecks in the Vass area. The roads are icy and there is NO reason to be out to any "event" other than an emergency. My advice is stay your butts at home...that way we don't have to put those expensive fire trucks out on the ice and risk your tax dollars.

Toda 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Ditto Sky ~ but a good car fire might help melt the ice .... Just kidding now so don't start throwing snow balls - not!

FightFireWithFire 3 months, 4 weeks ago

I guess I have a heads up on road conditions in the county because I carry a FD pager. People do not act like they have much sense when it comes to bad weather here. I feel for my brothers in Vass and north of there, they were BUSY, as well as SoPines. Seems like a waste of time to complain about it, but I just don't get it. Why can't people stay home? What's with the urgent need to go out and drive in bad conditions?

Yukonjohn 3 months, 4 weeks ago

I am glad it is above freezing now. At least the roads will be good again. It is unfortunate, but in every case, the people were driving too fast for conditions. ALL of them!! Unless someone slid into you, and then THEY were driving too fast for conditions. As Skylinefirepest said, when the weather is like that, stay home!!!! I wish we had your weather today...my themometer on the porch is dead on 50 below after a morning low of 52 below!! Only three days of this though, then back to zero...can't wait!! Best Wishes to ya'll and glad most of you weathered the storm well.

sfavela 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Ok JJ, your posting is just stupid. I'm a Republican and resent your implications. YOU are the one that had to inject politics. I am also a Christian and know there's no way Obama could be responsible for this storm. He's NOT God. As for those that didn't think ahead concerning what to do about schools dismissing early...perhaps you'll think ahead next time.

clarabelle 3 months, 4 weeks ago

sfavela - lighten up dude - he was JOKING!

"Obama could be responsible for this storm. He's NOT God." ................ and me thinks its YOU interjecting politics now :)

Toda 3 months, 3 weeks ago

Sky ~ we were in Chapel Hill on Raleigh Road for medical office visits and were caught up in the weather change.

It was gridlock in CH due to campus closings and businesses closing early. It was a mess.

Then those who drive 20 MPH when the roads were scraped. Passing was most difficult. We were lucky to have AWD with Traction Control ~ a real life saver. As we came closer to Sanford the roads were much more clearer here than in CH. So in answer to your statement about people being on the roads, it was partly due to closings of schools, universities, and businesses.

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