Published: December 17, 2008 11:24 pm         

Valley roads prove hazardous

Numerous accidents even involve trooper

TERRE HAUTE — Icy road conditions kept officials busy throughout Tuesday night and into Wednesday.

Between 2:30 and 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, members of the Indiana State Police responded to 15 crashes, which included 11 property damage accidents and four personal injury accidents, according to Sgt. Joe Watts, public information officer for ISP.

They also responded to 14 slide-offs, he said.

Primary areas for the crashes were on Interstate 70, Clay and Vigo counties, U.S. 41 south of Terre Haute and Indiana 63 north of Terre Haute, according to an ISP news release.

Troopers responded to two personal injury accidents Wednesday morning in Vermillion County and one property damage accident in Vigo County, the news release stated.

One of those accidents sent two to the hospital when a van heading south on North Main Street, one mile north of Clinton, lost control on the icy roadway about 8:35 a.m.

The van rotated counter clockwise, traveled off the east side of the road and down an embankment, hitting a section of trees. It was partially on its passenger side when it came to rest, a news release stated.

Members of the Clinton Fire Department and Fairview Park Fire-Rescue extricated driver Melanie Asmussen, 47, and passenger Lisa Cupstid, 27, both of Cayuga, after working for 45 minutes to free them.

Both were taken to West Central Community Hospital in Clinton, where Cupstid was listed in fair condition. Asmussen was transferred to Union Hospital, according to a hospital spokeswoman, where she also was listed in fair condition.

Other area sheriff’s departments confirmed busy nights as members of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department responded to 13 accidents between 4:30 p.m. Tuesday and 9 a.m. Wednesday. Police in Parke, Sullivan, Clay, Vigo and Vermillion counties also responded to motor-vehicle accidents.

Drivers can expect a similar ride home for today’s commute home as Logan Johnston, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Indianapolis, said there is a freezing rain possibility around 4 or 5 p.m.

Still, temperatures are expected to be 32 degrees instead of Tuesday’s 22 degrees, so Johnston said it may not freeze to surfaces as much, but instead leave icy spots.

Good news is on the horizon as tonight’s temperatures are expected to rise to nearly 40 degrees by Friday morning, he said, which will ensure roads are merely wet for Friday morning’s rush hour.

Watts cautioned drivers still to be aware of slush, because it’s possible to hydroplane on it.

Other precautions the ISP wants drivers to take include not talking on cell phones while driving; slowing down and driving according to road conditions; driving within one’s ability; traveling only when necessary and being patient; clearing all windows of snow or ice; using headlights; remembering vehicles don’t stop easily or quickly on snow or ice; and remembering to move over for emergency vehicles.