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Ex-Mets Star Valentine At Work In I-95 Traffic Mess

STAMFORD, Conn. (CBS 2/WCBS 880) -- Several stranded trucks turned Interstate 95 into a virtual parking lot in parts of Connecticut Thursday morning. As CBS 2's Wendy Gillette stood in the thick of it, she ran into former Mets player and manager, Bobby Valentine.

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Valentine, who is Stamford's safety director, was out in the snow directing traffic Thursday morning – and he had his work cut out for him.

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WCBS 880 Reporter Fran Schneidau finds out how Bobby Valentine managed the traffic.

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According to Connecticut State Police, one disabled tractor trailer by Exit 12 caused traffic to stand still for four hours as crews worked to get the vehicle moving.

By the time they got it cleared, however, the backup had done its damage. Because there was such a long period of time where traffic was at a standstill while snow was falling, there are now several cars and tractor trailers stuck at Exit 10. At one point, the highway was closed in six different spots and traffic was backed up all the way to Westchester County.

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"This has been a problem since early this morning," Valentine said. "We don't have enough men to close this ramp and try to get people to understand what they're doing."

The baseball legend, who served the Mets as both a player and a manager during his career, was busy giving directions to motorists trying to avoid the mess on the roads.

"I've been doing this since 3 in the morning," he told CBS 2. "Most of the roads are really clear. I think the city's doing a great job."

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