Winter weather a factor in multiple wrecks Thursday

February 3, 2011

Emergency service personnel were swamped with calls to multiple incidents where vehicles left the road due to icy conditions both within the city of Starkville and in Oktibbeha County Thursday afternoon. There were at least five incidents reported on U.S. Highway 82 between the U.S. 45 Alternate and Highway 12 interchanges, fire officials said. The most serious incident involved a west-bound sport utility vehicle, shown here, which left U.S. 82 after crossing the overpass above Old West Point Road and rolled over down the embankment, landing on the shoulder of Stowood Road. The driver and lone occupant was transported to OCH Regional Medical Center for treatment. In the early evening, fire officials reported that traffic was backed up in both directions for several miles on U.S. 82 due to minor accidents in the vicinity of the Ruth Road overpass. Fire officials urge motorists to drive carefully and slowly in icy conditions and allow ample space between vehicles.