A unique blend of near freezing temperatures and frost slowed commuters Wednesday morning.
‘The dew-point and temperature met, frost and dew froze on the road,? said Craig Bryson, Road Commission for Oakland County spokesperson, on Wednesday afternoon.
‘It was a clear morning. You might not think black ice would form. We had county trucks out there with salt during the morning hours.?
‘At 4 a.m. we had no problems reported on the roads. Then at 4:20 a.m., it was ice,? said Bryson. ‘The ice formed in just a few minutes. We sent trucks out, but the ice was not in just one area, rather, scattered around the county’it’s one of the most dangerous types of situations with many patches of black ice. We were right at the freezing point when the temperature dropped a degree or two just before sunrise.?
Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Dispatchers reported 281 9-1-1 calls, deputies handled 19 personal injury accidents and 45 property damage accidents between 5 a.m.-11a.m.
In Brandon Township, at about 7 a.m., deputies were dispatched to Oakwood Road near Tonda Drive to a vehicle rollover accident. The 16-year-old Brandon High School student traveling westbound on Oakwood swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle in his lane, flipping his vehicle due to icy road conditions. There were no injuries.
Michigan State Police Sgt. Lynne Walker, of the Groveland team, said troopers responded to more than 15 accidents in the I-75, Groveland Road and Dixie Highway area in the early mornings hours of Wednesday.
‘We were very busy,? said Walker.
‘I was on my way to work on I-75 at about 7 a.m. when a pickup truck flipped over right in front of me. And the driver had slowed down, too. It was especially bad on the curves, hills and overpasses. The ramps to and from I-75 were disastrous.?
‘The best advice for motorists is to slow down and listen to the radio before you head out. Be aware of road conditions before you head out to work or school.?