CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A flash freeze event caused hundreds of traffic accidents in West Virginia Friday night but the state Division of Highways was ready for it, an agency spokesman said.
Crews were out but the event developed quickly, according to DOH spokesman Brent Walker.
“You had slight accumulation. You had this evaporation and then these lower temperatures real quick and it just set up a nice recipe for some flash freezing especially on overpasses and bridges,” Walker said.
Interstate 70 near Wheeling as closed for a period as was Interstate 64 between Dunbar and Institute in Kanawha County to allow the busy interstates to be treated. Bridges were closed for several minutes in Parkersburg.
The above average temperatures may have given motorists a false sense of security, Walker said.
“They said it was coming. I think we’ve been so used to the nice weather and when it did hit it caught everybody a little off-guard,” he said.
There were more than 90 traffic accidents in Kanawha County between 7 p.m. Friday and 1 a.m. Saturday.