Slick roads across region blamed in car crashes

A tractor-trailer jackknifed near South Avenue when the driver tried to avoid crashing into a sedan that spun out of control on I-75.

Jetta Fraser / The Blade
Buy This Image

A tractor-trailer jackknifed near South Avenue when the driver tried to avoid crashing into a sedan that spun out of control on I-75.

The first significant snowfall of the season delivered about 4 inches to Toledo and as much as 5 1/2 inches in northern Monroe County late Tuesday and early yesterday, and forecasters said more winter weather is on the way for tonight.

According to both AccuWeather.com and the National Weather Service, the snow-ice line from the storm expected to pass through the region tonight and early tomorrow will be farther north than it was Tuesday night, which could result in a significant ice storm in Toledo.

While hardly historic, the snow that moved into northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan late Tuesday afternoon made roads slick overnight, prompting many area school districts to delay opening yesterday and forcing Bedford schools to close.

Slippery conditions were deemed a factor in a fatal crash Tuesday evening on U.S. 68 north of Arlington, Ohio, in Hancock County.

Joanne Greeno, 69, of Forest, Ohio, was killed Tuesday when her car crossed the U.S. 68 center line and crashed into the rear wheels of a northbound tractor-trailer, the

Hancock County Sheriff's Office reported. The 5:50 p.m. crash occurred just north of County Road 24 in Eagle Township. The semi driver was not hurt.

Don Carey of Toledo takes his dog, Andy, for a walk in snow-covered Wildwood Preserve Metropark. More snow is forecast tonight.

In Toledo, southbound I-75 was closed for a time yesterday morning when a tandem-trailer rig jackknifed as its driver tried to stop for a vehicle that spun out in front of it.

No one was hurt in the crashes on I-75 near South Avenue that were reported about 9 a.m.

Jennifer Curry, 26, of Perrysburg was ticketed for failure to control after her sedan struck the median barrier and spun out, coming to a stop facing the wrong way in the far right lane, Toledo police said.

A tandem-trailer's driver braked and swerved to avoid a collision and the tractor and first trailer slid sideways, while its second trailer ended up straight in the center lane. No information was available last night about the truck's driver or whether any citation was issued to the trucker.

The Ohio Department of Transportation said the freeway reopened at 11:19 a.m.

Other, more minor crashes were reported throughout the region yesterday morning, particularly on I-75 south of Bowling Green.

Areas south and east of Toledo generally got less snow and more ice from the storm, while snow totals were highest just north of the Ohio-Michigan border.

According to spotter reports submitted to the National Weather Service, Carleton, Mich., received 5 1/2 inches of snow while Toledo Express Airport got 3.2 and downtown Toledo received 4 1/2 inches. Bryan and Napoleon got 3 inches each, but Sandusky received only an inch and Lima got 0.1 of an inch of frozen precipitation.

The potentially more hazardous conditions forecast for tonight prompted the National Weather Service in Cleveland to post a Winter Storm Watch for the Toledo area, extreme northwest Ohio, and most of southern Michigan.

The storm's exact track was hard to forecast last night and will influence its severity in the region, weather service forecasters said. An ice storm "appears to be more of a threat at this time," according to the Winter Storm Watch issued at 3:45 p.m., with a half-inch glaze possible once the precipitation changes from snow to sleet and freezing rain late tonight.

Contact David Patch at:

dpatch@theblade.com

or 419-724-6094.