Icy Conditions Cause Problems For Motorists
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Grab the ice scraper, because you may need it before you head out this Sunday morning.
Dramatically changing weather conditions caused some problems on the roads overnight.
Late Saturday night into early Sunday, drivers ran into all kinds of problems, because the roadways were slick due to rain or even ice. Those conditions resulted in slide-offs, spin outs, and crashes.
Throughout the night, many highway maintenance trucks were either out salting or on- standby along the highways.
Illinois State Police were dealing with an 11 car pile-up in northwest suburban Schaumburg just after 11:00 p.m. Saturday night on the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway. Troopers say the sudden freezing rain in that area made it very hard for drivers to maneuver. Two people walked-away with minor injuries from that pile-up.
Police are still trying to determine if weather was a factor in a fatal accident on Chicago's far southwest side. Two men are dead, and a woman is in serious condition. Police say it happened around 2:20 a.m. Sunday in the Mt. Greenwood neighborhood, when two cars crashed head-on in the 3400 block of West 115th street.
"It's wet but I don't know if…. there's no ice around. I'm sure the wet conditions had something to do with it, but both cars are in the westbound lane," said resident Al Noskowiak.
Since temperatures are expected to continue dropping Sunday, and the roadways are already wet from all the precipitation overnight, highway officials are advising drivers to slow down and allow plenty of time to navigate the black ice that may be on the roadways.
