‘Take extra caution.’ More snow in Lexington and KY slickens roads, causes collisions
A second consecutive day of snow caused difficult driving conditions in Central, Southern and Eastern Kentucky.
Lexington first responders dealt with reports of several traffic accidents, including cars running off roads Tuesday morning. About 2.3 inches of snow had fallen across the Bluegrass by the morning, according to Lexington’s Streets & Roads department. The National Weather Service reported that 1.3 inches had fallen at the Blue Grass Airport in Lexington by 8:30 p.m. Monday.
Most snow accumulations were 2 inches or less with some pockets of 3 inches or 4 inches in Southern or Eastern Kentucky.
While the snow was expected to stop Tuesday, temperatures would only get up into the mid-30s, according to Streets & Roads.
“Overall, the roads are in pretty good condition but take extra caution on bridges and overpasses, along with areas where snow may have blown and accumulated,” Streets & Roads crews said in a statement.
The early morning traffic accidents in Lexington included an injury collision on I-75 which involved at least six vehicles, according to the Lexington Traffic Management Center. It occurred on the northbound side just before the I-75/I-64 split, according to the center.
There was also a report of several stopped vehicles on Man o’ War Boulevard between Polo Club Boulevard and Winchester Road. It required multiple tow trucks, according to the Lexington Traffic Management Center.
The traffic management center asked drivers to “slow down, increase following distances, and expect increased commute times” due to the snow.
Police also cited slick roads in a fatal crash in Southern Kentucky early Tuesday.
Boban Colic, of Phoenix, was driving a 2013 Freightliner tractor-trailer south on Interstate 75 when he lost control, plowed through the median and hit a pickup truck on the northbound side of the road, according to the Kentucky State Police Commercial Vehicle Division.
The driver of the pickup truck, 25-year-old George E. Martin of Williamsburg, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said in a news release.
Police said they believed slick pavement and weather conditions were a “direct factor” in the crash.
The busy interstate was shut down for several hours while police investigated and crews cleaned up debris.
Once the snow clears out Tuesday, temperatures will increase and reach into the upper 40s on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Wednesday will include more sun than Monday and Tuesday.
This story was originally published December 1, 2020 at 8:06 AM.