The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Snow wreaks havoc on state roads
Twenty-six cars, three tractor-trailers and a tanker were involved in a pileup on slippery Interstate 91 southbound near Exit 21, Connecticut State Police confirmed. No serious injuries were reported.
The pileup, which resulted in 125 gallons of diesel fuel being spilled, closed the highway until shortly after 6 p.m. Environmental clean-up crews were on scene to address the spill, according to a release by the Cromwell Fire Department.
Middletown Mayor Daniel Drew commended the work of first responders and Connecticut State Police on Twitter Saturday for their response to the incident. Drew added he was grateful there were no major injuries.
State police spokeswoman Kelly Grant said that from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. troopers across the state responded to approximately 115 crashes and approximately 94 motorist assists, mainly spin-outs and vehicles stuck in the snow.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said early Saturday evening that the Department of Transportation deployed 821 plow trucks throughout the state to clear roads.
“Visibility and road conditions vary across regions and I strongly encourage everyone to stay safe and to use good judgement,” Malloy said in a statement. “Residents who live in areas most impacted by the storm are advised to remain off the roads, if possible. If travel is necessary, motorists are urged to exercise caution, to build in extra travel time, and to practice safe winter driving skills such as slowing down, increasing following distance, driving in already traveled lanes, keeping headlights on, and avoiding distractions in your vehicle.”
Malloy also reminded drivers that the state now has three tow plow trucks capable of clearing two travel lanes in a single pass. These trucks are based in the New Haven area, he said.
“Motorist’s are urged to stay clear of snowplows while on the road and are cautioned against trying to pass a snowplow when it is in operation,” Malloy said.
As the storm was winding down Saturday evening, motorists were being warned that cold temperatures would make driving difficult overnight into Sunday morning. Snow totals of 4-12 inches were reported by early Saturday evening, with the heaviest snowfall in eastern Connecticut, according to the state’s television meteorologists.
The winter storm began earlier than expected Saturday morning, with heavy snowfall beginning before noon. The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning for the area until 11 p.m. Saturday.
Several motor vehicle accidents had been reported as of 12:30 p.m. Saturday, causing stop-and-go traffic and a motor vehicle accident with reported injuries on the Madison and Killingworth town line as well as an accident on the Wilbur Cross between Exits 54 and 55. An accident late Saturday morning on Durham Road in Guilford resulted in no injuries, police said. Also in Guilford, on the southbound side of Interstate 95 between Exits 57 and 56, there were no injuries caused by a one-car accident around noon Saturday, Grant had said.
Also because of the weather, the city of New Haven has issued a residential parking ban from noon Saturday to noon on Sunday. Residents are asked to park on the sides of street with even house numbers, and leave the odd sides of the streets clear, according to a Facebook post from New Haven Transportation Traffic and Parking.
Lawrence Grotheer, a spokesman for the city, said the city’s Posted Snow Route Ban and the Downtown Parking Ban were scheduled to go into effect at 2 a.m. and remain in place through 8:a.m. Sunday.
The decision regarding when the various parking bans take effect is made by consulting a variety of city departments, including Economic Development, according to Grotheer.
“They (city economic development officials) wanted businesses to be able to stay open Saturday night, so the downtown parking ban was put off until 2 a.m. om Sunday,” he said. The following additional area towns have so far imposed parking bans to accommodate municipal snow removal operations:
Clinton
Saturday through Sunday
Hamden
Saturday through Sunday
Meriden
Saturday
Milford
Alternate street sides parking
New Haven
A posted Snow Route parking ban is in effect beginning at 2 a.m. Sunday and will remain in effect until 8 a.m. This is to assist the city with snow clearing operations. Cars parked along posted snow emergency routes are subject to ticketing and/or towing.
In addition, a downtown parking ban will be in effect from 2 to 8 a.m. Sunday.
North Haven
Saturday through Sunday
Wallingford
Starting at 11 a.m. Saturday
West Haven
Saturday
Woodbridge
Saturday