45 flips, crashes on Tri-Cities highways over weekend. It’s not over yet, warn police
Warmer weather is starting to thaw the weekend’s snow and ice but police officials are still warning of treacherous driving conditions in some areas.
A frequent danger area is Interstate 82 (Highway 395) south of Kennewick to the Oregon border. The divided highway was forced to close for several hours starting at 8 p.m. Sunday into Monday morning because of crashes on the slippery roadway.
The decision to shut the highway came after six cars slid off the icy highway.
That stretch is usually several degrees colder that in the Tri-Cities and can quickly freeze over, said officials.
Washington State Patrol Trooper Chris Thorson said with rain and melting snow is leaving roads wet and they’re concerned when nighttime temperatures drop below freezing.
Pasco police posted a photo on Instagram Sunday of Officer David Dillsworth wearing his hockey skates to work because the roads were so icy.
The National Weather Service was predicting temperature in the Tri-Cities to linger around 32 degrees each night this week, but outlying areas could dip lower. Daytime highs will be from 37 to 40 degrees for the next few days.
Conditions on county roads in the region also were problematic.
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook that Locust Grove Road west of Clodfelter was blocked for a time as crews worked clearing a flipped semi-truck from the icy roadway near Glenn Miller Hill.
The Tri-Cities saw 45 crashes on state highways between Saturday and Sunday, Thorson said. About 31 of those happened after a Saturday morning ice storm.
Highway 12 just east of Burbank was closed Saturday morning after two semis crashed and blocked the eastbound lanes.
Going too fast for the slick roads was the primary cause of the problems.
No serious injuries were reported, however.
This story was originally published January 22, 2024 at 12:39 PM.