Slick roads cause crashes in GR

With the recent snow and ice accumulating on Green River’s streets,

police have ended up responding to more crashes in the past few weeks.

On Thanksgiving Day, the department, assisting Castle Rock Ambulance

Service, the Green River Fire Department and Sweetwater County Sheriff’s

Office, responded to a vehicle that left the road on Highway 530 one mile south of Green River. The vehicle drove into a ditch and struck a snowbank.

The ambulance service transported the driver to Memorial Hospital of

Sweetwater County, who was then transferred to the University of Utah Medical Center.

Another recent crash, occurring on Uinta Drive, resulted in a vehicle driving

into a tree, knocking it over. Other crashes have occurred as well, with many drivers being cited for driving too fast for conditions.

According to Tom Jarvie, the patrol lieutenant for the GRPD, the upswing in

the number of crashes during the first few winter storms is nothing new.

“It definitely seems to be a trend. We end up with quite a few more (crashes,)” Jarvie said.

Jarvie believes the biggest cause is due to people misjudging the roads they’re driving on. During the first few storms, he said people often think the rain and snow only makes the road wet as snow doesn’t appear to accumulate. However, as temperatures drop, that wet road quickly freezes, creating patches of ice appearing as wet road. The ice then catches inattentive drivers off guard, resulting in a crash.

While he suggests residents treating seemingly wet roads with caution once temperatures start dropping to 32 degrees and lower, Jarvie said drivers should remain aware and drive without being distracted.

Cell phones are a common culprit involved in distracted driving, but Jarvie said other actions such as using a vehicle’s stereo system or eating while driving can be just as distracting and may lead to a crash.