Storm brings fatal crashes, disruption to Southern Plains
OKLAHOMA CITY — A winter storm dropped sleet and snow on portions of the Southern Plains on Thursday, making travel treacherous and contributing to the deaths of at least four people in Oklahoma.
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning through Friday morning for northern Texas, parts of the Texas Panhandle and much of Oklahoma. The region could see between 3 and 7 inches of snow, along with ice accumulations of up to 1 inch. Other parts of Texas and Oklahoma were under winter weather advisories, and forecasters said a mix of wintry precipitation would create slippery road conditions and limited visibility.
Sleet began falling Wednesday evening in parts of northwestern Texas, creating hazardous conditions for motorists.
The Abilene Police Department reported that roads were “completely covered” in ice and sleet.
Authorities said at least four people were killed in Oklahoma and a police officer was injured in collisions on icy roads.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said a 63-year-old woman died Wednesday evening when her pickup veered out of control on a sleet-slickened road and was struck by a tractor-trailer rig in Pittsburg County.
Troopers said three more people died in two crashes Thursday, including a 76year-old man whose vehicle slid out of control and struck a tree in Grady County. A Texas man was killed in a collision on Interstate 35 in southern Oklahoma, and a Texas woman died later at a hospital of injuries she suffered in the crash.
In northeastern Oklahoma, a police officer was recovering after being struck by a vehicle while working at the site of a crash on a bridge over Interstate 44 in Tulsa.