I-70 incidents again keep Putnamville troopers busy
PUTNAMVILLE -- Troopers from the Putnamville Post were kept busy Friday afternoon and evening, responding to multiple crashes and slide-offs along Interstate 70.
With four or five inches of snowing falling throughout the area, the I-70 trouble spots developed mostly in Putnam and Clay counties, as well as along U.S. 41 in Vigo and Sullivan counties and State Road 63 in northern Vigo and Vermillion counties.
No life-threatening injuries were reported in any of the crashes, although some minor injuries were reported.
The more extreme trouble spots developed along I-70 from the 40- to 48-mile markers in Putnam County. That would be from a mile east of Cloverdale to seven miles west of the U.S. 231 interchange.
Also considered a problem area was the section of I-70 from the 24- to 28-mile markers in Clay County.
Traffic in those areas was slowed throughout the afternoon and evening Friday by crash cleanup and removal of slide-offs, but the interstate remained open.
In one instance, Indiana State Police Master Trooper Hans Nowak was attempting to investigate a vehicle rollover crash at 1:51 p.m. in the eastbound lanes of I-70 near the 19-mile marker.
Nowak was stationary in his 2011 Dodge Charger with emergency lights activated, when a 2007 GMC SUV driven by Porchia Smith-Ford, 36, of Maryville, Ill., lost control and sideswiped the ISP commission. No injuries were reported.
Smith-Ford was cited for speed too fast to avoid a collision by investigating trooper Tim Rader.
Meanwhile, another incident around 4:30 p.m. involved a Vigo County School Corporation bus at U.S. 41 and State Road 246 with four students on board. No injuries reported.
From 10 a.m. Friday until 8 a.m. Saturday, troopers responded to the following:
-- Property damage crashes: 24.
-- Personal Injury crashes: 4.
-- Slide-offs: 23.
-- Disabled vehicles: 15.
State Police spokesmen said the overwhelming cause for the crashes and slide-offs was drivers operating vehicles too fast for conditions.