Iowa City area gets covered in ice and drivers crash into everything in sight
A large number of crashes in the Iowa City area were related to severe weather, ice storms, and other poor road conditions. Law enforcement tried to control the situation for several hours.
Police respond to dozens of accidents in a few hours
The entire Iowa City area experienced a large ice storm on a Tuesday morning that caused horrendous road conditions to develop quickly. Most parts of Johnson County were covered with about one tenth of an inch of ice on road surfaces and sidewalks within hours. There were about 61 crash reports to the Iowa City police that morning, compared with 5 for the entire day just a week earlier.
In the Coralville area, about 40 accidents were reported, mostly due to cars sliding into each other, road signs, fire hydrants, and other objects in and around the roads. The Coralville Police Chief said that most of the damage had already been done by 7 am. Some officers had witnessed two or three accidents nearby while attending to one.
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that some accident reports had started coming in as early as 3 am that morning. The county sheriff responded to seven accident calls and about twenty other stranded motorists that morning due to cars sliding into ditches. The town of North Liberty reported four accident responses.
A meteorologist from the National Weather Service confirmed that the problems were likely caused by a system of frozen precipitation that melted as it was falling, then quickly froze again once on the group. Such conditions create a dangerous scenario when drivers suddenly lose control of their vehicles, or they slide when applying the brakes. The scene on Interstate 80’s morning commute involved a number of semi trailer trucks that slid off of the side of the road due to the ice.
Accidents where severe weather and poor road conditions are a factor
Although weather can contribute to an accident through reduced visibility and debris on the road, it is still important for drivers to be careful and they have a duty of care on the roads.
Whenever weather may be a cause or factor in an accident, it is necessary to contact the police and your insurance company immediately. This will create an official report and a record of the event. It may be possible to bring an insurance claim to pay for damage if no other drivers can be found at fault for a single car accident.
Get help from an Iowa City accident attorney
There are lawyers who focus their entire practice on assisting car crash victims in the Iowa City area. To get help from a professional and learn whether a lawsuit is the right choice for you, contact:
Eells and Tronvold Law Offices
1921 51st Street NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402-2400
319-393-1020
www.eellsandtronvold.com
