Dave Gibson, NHP
As we said hello to spring we also said good morning to a snow storm that wreaked havoc along Northern Nevada roadways. The snow began to fall and stick around 5 a.m. and did not let up until around noon.
The Nevada Highway Patrol began working crashes early Monday morning in the Reno-Sparks area. From around 4 a.m. until 12 p.m. NHP handled 25 crashes that did not require any medical response, eight crashes that did need medical attention and 45-plus motorists assist.
The 45-plus motorists’ assist only included vehicle with people still on scene. A few of these incidents cause the roadways to be shut down while crews worked to gets vehicles unstuck. 395 N/B at North McCarran was shut down for over an hour while a jack-knifed semi was been town off the highway.
Two more accident occurred near Lockwood and Mustang on I80 cause all the west bound lanes to be blocked. There where countless vehicles that had been left on the side of the road as drivers’ set out to find their own assistance as the NHP was going from call to call.
It is important to remember that if you are traveling in a snow storm and your vehicle becomes disabled to not keep your vehicle running at all times. Try to let the vehicle warm up and then turn it off and roll the window down enough to keep a carbon monoxide built up from occurring.
During times when there is a chance to receive inclement weather carry blankets, extra clothing (jackets), and enough food and water to last a few hours in case you aren’t able to receive assistance for a while. Try to figure out where you are on the roadway so when you have to call 911 you can give a good location so you can be found quicker.
