Ice Sheets Pose Threat to Motorists, Accident Toll Rises

Sheets of ice covering San Angelo streets have once again become a nuisance and safety hazard for local motorists. Photos and coverage of the ice storm that blew past two weeks ago tell a story of damage, destruction and even death, but officials say that this storm is different. Why? Because it’s not restricted to a specific area.

“Based off of what Lieutenant  Pucci  told me, I would say yes [the streets pose more of a danger this time around],” said SAPD Public Information Officer Tracy Gonzalez. “In the last freeze it was primarily the bridges that were affected, those were the hotspots for danger. This time, it’s everywhere,” she says.

When the rain blew in yesterday afternoon, it coated streets all over the city. Temperatures dropped and that rainwater formed an ice sheet, and sleet in the evening added a new layer. With temperatures to remain at or below freezing all day, the only thawing that’s taking place is on heavily traveled roads.

The police have put out a stream of Nixle alerts since yesterday evening, advising motorists to avoid certain streets and updating on weather conditions: “Avoid Bell St, Avoid Houston Harte, Avoid Glenna St,” the list goes on. Still drivers are on the streets and many are losing traction.

“[Lieutenant Pucci] did say that since the roads are icy, he’s been getting hammered with calls for motorists that are disabled,” said Gonzalez, adding that anywhere there’s an incline or decline there’s a particular risk to vehicles.

“I spoke with dispatch and they advised there have been 7 crashes since 0800 today,” Gonzalez writes an email update. “Since 4pm yesterday, dispatch received 23 calls for service on disabled vehicles.”

Although ice has formed all over San Angelo, certain streets do pose more of a threat. Knickerbocker has been closed to traffic heading southwest toward the loop for several hours and will likely remain so for a while, says Gonzalez, if it continues to pose a problem for motorists.

The loop, with it’s many bridges, is not advisable to anyone even though the city sanded it last night. And indeed in the past the majority of accidents did take place on the loop, many at or near the bridges.

“The message that we’re trying to communicate to people is, if you don’t have to get out there and drive, don’t drive,” Gonzalez said. This will decrease the number of accidents and disabled motorists and free up officers to contend with major emergencies.

With the roads posing a threat to all that are on them, services citywide are affected, not least the Police Department. “Everything in these weather conditions is affected. Our response time—when the weather and the road conditions are like this, we can’t respond as quickly as we normally could,” she said.

For up-to-date information on traffic situations and worsening weather conditions, check the San Angelo Police Department's Nixle alerts.