DARKE COUNTY – An early round of snow and ice on Monday, November 11, created hazardous morning conditions across Darke County, leading to dozens of crashes and slide-offs during the rush-hour commute.
“It kind of snuck up on us,” said Darke County Sheriff Mark Whittaker. “The weather report was kind of letting everybody know that they thought the ground was going to be warm enough that it wouldn’t be a problem, but it turned out to be a problem. The temperature dropped and the roads got icy really quickly, right at morning rush hour; everybody was trying to get to work and going to school.”
Between 6 a.m. and noon, the Darke County Sheriff’s Office took 40 crash or slide-off reports.
“This is not unusual, the first snow that catches us every year. People have to retrain themselves,” Whittaker said. “It was very icy that morning, but as we move forward, keep in mind that this winter weather is probably not going to stop—we’re going to get a few more days like this. Slow down, take your time, account for the weather, and wear your seatbelt. Don’t be engaging in distracted driving. These things make things a lot safer, but take your time is the important part.”
Sheriff Whittaker noted that drivers who slide off the road may call a tow truck on their own, but heavy call volume can create long delays.
“On a day like Monday, when there are so many slide-offs and so many crashes, oftentimes getting a tow truck takes a long time,” he explained. “There were a couple of incidents later in the morning where the tow trucks were also backed up. There were not as many tow trucks as needed. What happens—you end up waiting sometimes two hours for a tow truck to pull you out. You’re welcome to call one if you haven’t caused any damage. More often than not, a lot of calls we get, a passerby sees what has happened, and they report it.”
Despite the high call volume, the county avoided any major injuries.
“The fortunate thing, Monday was there were no serious injuries, and that is important,” Whittaker emphasized. “People were wearing their seatbelts. They were trying to be careful—but at the end of the day, you slide off, you can call the Sheriff’s Office so we know that you’re safe. We can make the calls to tow trucks, or you can call the tow truck on your own, but be patient because you’re going to be waiting a while.”
