KentNewsNet.com

Issue date: 11/18/08 Section: Latest Headlines

Dan Owen | Daily Kent Stater

Icy conditions caused many accidents last night. The Kent fire department responded to a 10-car accident on the State Route 261 bridge near Mogadore Road. One person was transported to Robinson Memorial Hospital, Capt. Dave Manthey of the Kent fire department said.

"They just hit the ice, and a lot of people just underestimate the roads," he said. "The bridges freeze faster than the regular pavement."

A seven-car accident occurred on the Haymaker Bridge at about 7:40 p.m. and at the same time, three separate collisions occurred on the Greer bridge, which is also part of Haymaker Parkway but crosses the Cuyahoga River. No one appeared to be seriously injured in any of those collisions.

A woman lost control of her van going east on the Haymaker bridge, causing several midsize cars to pile up behind her.

People at the scene reported no serious injuries among any of the cars' occupants. DJ McCarley, 21, of Kent said his car hit a Honda Civic behind the van and rolled to the other side of the road. He and a passenger were not hurt.

On the Greer bridge, a westbound sedan slid on the thin frozen sheet into the opposite lane, striking an oncoming car and deploying the sedan's airbag. The front ends of both cars sustained major damage. Both cars required tow trucks.

Shortly after, a Grand Marquis also heading west was rear ended, which barely dented the bumper. Driver Lydia Smith of Cleveland complained of neck pain, saying her head was jerked during the impact.

Then a Dodge Ram caromed into a Jeep Wrangler, crunching it into the bridge's southern wall. The pick-up's driver, Keith Hodar, said he was pushed into the oncoming Jeep. While both vehicles sustained heavy damage, both drivers agreed the accident happened at only 5 mph.

Ken Grohe, driver of the mangled Jeep, was driving his 9-year-old twin daughters home from skating practice at the Ice Arena.

"I wish that salt truck had gotten here an hour ago," Grohe said as city trucks ambled through the scene, spitting a flurry of little crystals onto the road.

Kent Police did not have a complete estimate of how many accidents had occurred throughout the evening.



Contact public affairs reporters John Hitch kmanion@kent.edu and Kiera Manion-Fischer at kmanion@kent.edu.

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