Monday January 5, 2018 was a near record-breaking day in Iowa, but not in a positive way. As a winter storm swept its way across the state, 185 crashes were reported throughout Iowa from six in the morning until nine that night, resulting in eight deaths and at least ten injuries. January 13, 2013 holds the record for the most fatalities in a single day, totaling 11 deaths in Iowa. Monday took seven lives across the state.
A camera on I-35 at Lincoln Way near Ames, Iowa caught a particularly noteworthy accident around noon on Monday. This recently released footage shows a giant, deadly game of bumper cars as vehicles come barreling down the freeway, unaware of the accident ahead. The situation quickly escalated and by the end, there were 50 to 70 cars involved.
Authorities who responded to the pileup say that much of the damage was done by cars entering the freeway and adding to the existing crash. At least five people were injured, and Dana Easter, 53, of Independence, Missouri was killed as five cars collided with the bus she was driving. Story County sheriff, Paul Fitzgerald acknowledges, “This has been one of the largest number of vehicles involved in one event,” he said. “One vehicle slid into the rear of one of my deputies squad car.”
As a result of the pileup, the northbound lanes of I-35 were shut down for most of the day. In addition to several other pileups matching this magnitude, this story has caught national attention and was covered by Time. Several inches of snowfall is not an unusual sight for Midwestern residents, nor is the winter driving that comes with it, calling into question why Monday caused so many problems for so many drivers.
Although the amount of snowfall was not unusual for Iowans, the snowy conditions were paired with a steep drop in temperatures that caused the falling snow to freeze on the roads. Gene Hatch, a meteorologist at Springfield’s National Weather Service, said of the conditions, “The initial amount of light snow that melted on the roads froze as temperatures hit the freezing point,” he said. “The roads went from wet to icy very quickly, and once the water on the roads froze, the snow that was falling began sticking, making it even slicker.”
As the snow continues to hit the area, Fitzgerald reminds drivers, “If anyone doesn’t have to travel, then don’t. If anyone does have to travel, leave early, make sure your cell phone is fully charged but don’t use it while driving, have a tank of fuel, bring water and some food in case you’re stranded,” he said. “Also bring blankets and perhaps a shovel in your vehicle.”
