iBerkshires.com Columnist SectionSue Bush
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Another Burst of WinterBy Susan Bush
12:00AM / Monday, January 23, 2006
 | | Parking lot snowplowing was the order of the day on Jan. 23 after a snowstorm dropped 5-7 inches of snow on the Berkshire region. |
A quick but intense Jan. 23 snowstorm delivered between five to seven inches of snow to the Berkshire/Southern Vermont region and was deemed the culprit for a spate of morning accidents that kept North Adams police busy.
Police Sgt. James Burdick said that eight minor vehicle accidents occurred between 8 a.m. and noon. Crashes were reported along West Main, Houghton, and State streets as well as Curran Highway and Massachusetts Avenue, Burdick said.
No serious injuries were reported as a result of the accidents, but a traffic sign posted near the Eagles Hall on Curran Highway was struck twice by different vehicles within a 30-minute span, he noted.
“That sign took a beating,†Burdick said.
During the early afternoon, a tractor-trailer truck became stuck on a slick spot near the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Arts gates on Marshall Street, Burdick said. Sand was brought to the site to get the truck moving again, Burdick said.
“The accidents were all kind of minor,†he said. “People sometimes forget how to drive in this weather."
An unplowed private road proved a bit challenging for this driver. |
During snowstorms, drivers should reduce driving speeds, increase braking distance, wear seat belts, and be certain that their vehicle is outfitted with proper tires, Burdick said.
City highway workers who were trying to clear the snow from the streets requested police assistance on numerous occasions, Burdick said. Police were asked to locate the owners of vehicles that had been parked on the street at some point during the morning so that the vehicles could be moved for plowing.
Williamstown police reported no serious incidents during the storm, and Adams police dispatcher Tom Romaniak said that the storm did not cause any serious problems in that town.
“We were lucky with that,†he said.
Massachusetts State Police Sgt. William Blackmer of the Cheshire barracks said that drivers faced some nuisance situations along roadways.
“We had a couple of stuck vehicles and a tractor-trailer jack-knifed on Route 116,†Blackmer said.
There were no injuries reported with those incidents, he said.
A snow emergency is in effect in Pittsfield until further notice. During a snow emergency, parking on city streets is prohibited.
Most Berkshire region and Southern Vermont schools were closed because of the storm, with the exception of the Southern Vermont Supervisory School Union – which had already scheduled the day as a teacher in-service day and a student day off.
Susan Bush may be reached via e-mail at suebush@iberkshires.com or at 802-823-9367.
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