Freezing rain causing hazardous roads, emergency vehicles ‘crawling’

UPDATE 3:45 p.m. VT 511 is now reporting “County-wide black ice warning” for Windham, Windsor, Orange and Washington counties. Scanner reports say “modular homes have been grounded” so those wide loads should not be on the roads.

UPDATE 2:05 p.m. Police are reporting that Routes 103 and 10 have been reopened.

By Shawn Cunningham
© 2015 Telegraph Publishing LLC

With frozen road surfaces, temperatures hovering around freezing and rain, area roads have been treacherous today. As of 1:30 p.m. Vermont’s 511  road condition map rated roads in Windsor, Windham and Rutland counties as “difficult” and local authorities would certainly agree.

A large number of accidents have been reported along I-91 and Routes 103 and 10 with Vermont State Police and local police, fire departments, ambulances and towing companies going flat-out. The State Police is confirming that it has called in its night shift to handle the large number of accidents. At one point, an ambulance reported that it was “crawling” on Route 10 in Chester because of all the cars off the road.

The accidents reported run the gamut from cars sliding into the ditch to a large number of rollovers, some with occupants trapped and some with leaking fuel. Police have called for VTrans and local highway trucks to treat the roads. At various times, Routes 10 and 103 north of Chester as well as Route 10 in Springfield were reported closed. Route 10 was reopened just before 2 p.m.

The U.S. Weather Service is reporting that freezing rain is expected to continue throughout the afternoon, with temperatures rising above freezing after 6 p.m.

If you can avoid driving this afternoon, stay put. If you must go out, drive slowly and watch out for first responders and highway crews working.