Few weather-related crashes reported, despite ice

CEDAR RAPIDS - Authorities said that - despite icy, slushy road conditions - they responded to few weather-related crashes Tuesday morning.

Cedar Rapids public safety spokesman Greg Buelow credits the motorists who heeded the warning about Monday morning's freezing rain, which left roadways a slick mess. Despite the hazardous conditions, Buelow said Cedar Rapids police only responded to a dozen weather-related traffic calls by 11 a.m. Tuesday.

'There are significantly fewer vehicles out on the road today,” Buelow said. 'When people hear, ‘ice,' they slow down and take precaution. You don't want to get caught off guard with the ice.”

Buelow also credited the time of year for lessening the impact of the ice. He suspected motorists have grown adapted to winter weather driving by this point in the season.

Cancellations and delays in the area contributed to the fewer vehicles on the roads. Cedar Rapids and College Community schools canceled for the day Tuesday and Iowa City schools were on a two-hour late start.

In Iowa City, there were only five reported crashes and one of those was not located by officers, said Iowa City police Sgt. Denise Brotherton. One call was for a hit-and-run in a parking lot and another involved a minor injury, Brotherton said.

'We haven't had any significant injuries,” she said. 'We usually don't in town because you don't get those speeds up.”

In Johnson County, the sheriff's office responded to 10 motorist assists and one weather-related crash between midnight and 11 a.m. Tuesday.

On the interstates, Iowa State Patrol Lt. Randy Jones said conditions improved quickly Tuesday morning. He estimated there were eight crashes on interstates 80 and 380, including a few cars in the ditch and a few that hit the concrete divider on Interstate 80 in Coralville.

Jones attributed the relatively few calls on the Iowa Department of Transportation spraying the roadways with a brine solution to help clear the ice.

'We're pretty lucky,” Jones said. 'The interstates were kept relatively clear.”