Multiple accidents slow traffic in Putnam County

WINFIELD, W.Va. -- Two serious vehicle accidents caused problems Thursday for motorists in Putnam County.

The first accident happened about 7 a.m. on U.S. 35. near American Electric Power's John Amos Plant. The dispatcher described it as a head-on, two-vehicle collision. Two patients were transported to hospitals in Charleston.

U.S. 35 was closed for a time as a result of the accident.

The second occurred about 7:30 a.m. at the Winfield exit of Interstate 64. A 911 dispatcher said a motorist reported that a vehicle rolled over on W.Va. 34 as it turned on to westbound Interstate 64.

Source-http://www.herald-dispatch.com

Jan 10, 2008 @ 11:23 PM

The Herald-Dispatch

Johannesburg crash puts 21 people in hospital

Twenty-one people were injured during a collision between a minibus taxi and another vehicle in Greenside in Johannesburg on Thursday, metro police said.

Spokesperson Wayne Minnaar said the accident between the taxi and a Nissan bakkie occurred on the Barry Hertzog and Garland roads in the afternoon.

"All the injured were taken to various Johannesburg hospitals."

Minnaar said the cause of the accident was not yet established, but police were investigating. - Sapa

source-http://www.dailynews.co.za

Three City Buses Involved In Accidents At Brooklyn Intersection

At least 14 people, including a bus driver, were injured Wednesday morning when two city buses collided in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn.

Police say a B-44 bus was about to go through the intersection of Empire Boulevard and New York Avenue around 6:30 a.m. when it clipped another B-44 bus from behind. The first bus then veered across the intersection and knocked over a traffic light and a small tree.

Ten patients were taken to Kings County Hospital and four were taken to Brookdale Hospital. Five people are said to be in serious, but stable condition. The remaining passengers suffered just minor injuries.

The driver was pinned behind the wheel.

"The rescue units on the scene from fire rescue and police emergency services used a tool to get him out and other power tools to remove him,” said EMS Deputy Chief Howard Sickles.

EMS officials are not sure what caused the accident.

A few hours later, at around 10 a.m., a third bus – a B-43 – rear-ended a car, knocking it straight into the same intersection. The driver of the car was taken to Kings County Hospital as a precaution.

"I stopped at the light, for the red light, and I got rear-ended, right in front of this accident," said the driver.

Workers are on the scene trying to restore the knocked down traffic light at an intersection some say is notoriously dangerous.

"I don't know why, but for the past few years, this place, this intersection has a lot of accidents," said Robert Francis, a local gas station attendant. "Well for the past month, two or three accidents."

New York City Transit is investigating both accidents.

Source-http://www.ny1.com

Icy roads result in more than 130 accidents

SAN JUAN COUNTY — Three straight days of snowy and icy roads have taken a toll on local drivers. As of Wednesday afternoon, 134 minor accidents were reported countywide.

Only 14 of those accidents had reported injuries, most of which did not even require a hospital visit via ambulance, said Daryl Branson, of the San Juan Communications Authority, which operates emergency dispatch.

"Most of these have been very minor accidents," he said.

In contrast, a clear-skied, three-day period may yield just 10 to 15 accidents, Branson said

"When it snows like this and the roads turn icy, it gets a little crazy," he said.

The icy conditions proved to be a hazard for more than just vehicles.

San Juan Regional Medical Center emergency room managers reported treating between 20 and 30 patients each day this week for injuries suffered after slipping on the ice, hospital spokesman Dennis Mathis said.

"Most of them were just talking about twisted ankles," Branson said of the 12 who needed an ambulance to get to the hospital. "There were a couple of people who hit their head, which can be serious injuries."

Since Monday, Farmington has received about 7 inches of snow, National Weather Service Meteorologist Brian Guyer said. That amount accounts for more than half of the area's yearly snowfall average of 12 inches.

But after Wednesday's afternoon snow, the area is expected to be clear through the rest of the weekend, Guyer said.

"I would expect a slow melting of the snow through the weekend, and probably by Monday, any locations that are in the sun won't have any snow on the ground anymore," Guyer said.

But the snow masked by shade will remain an ice hazard, he said.

"Those (icy) areas in the shade are just not going to warm up," Guyer said. "Those areas will stay slick if they haven't been treated."

Local officials still suggest drivers slow down and remain cautious on area roads.

source-http://www.daily-times.com
By James Monteleone The Daily Times