'I'm stuck': Vehicles abandoned across Portland area after snowstorm

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Everywhere you go in Portland, there are cars abandoned on the side of the road.

On 82nd Avenue, the street is full of cars, trucks and buses that are unoccupied. One truck driver says he was stranded for over 13 hours after his truck slid off the highway.

"I'm stuck, I can't eat," said Asad Bashir. "I called the tow truck and they said it will be 10 hours before we get you."

Another driver and former KOIN 6 News employee said that it took him over nine hours to go just four miles on the freeway Wednesday night.

"I stopped at the grocery store and got some shrimp for dinner," said Justin McWhirter. "They did not make it. My car smells of seafood and I was hungry."

While traffic is starting to move freely in some spots, clearing the roads is a whole other hurdle.

Heading south on I-5 toward Tigard and Tualatin, KOIN 6 spotted many vehicles still abandoned on the sides of the road, and even one right in the middle, with the owners nowhere to be found.

Off-ramps were also cluttered with abandoned cars and people stuck in place overnight, especially along the Macadam exit where some tell say they've been stuck since 5 p.m. Wednesday.

A semi-truck was also stuck for the past day right at the off-ramp's intersection, telling KOIN 6 he's been stuck since 7 p.m., waiting on a tow-truck.

"They were here and I was just able to pull in behind them. And I didn't want to be parked close to the intersection because, you know, we can see the truck there and a couple other cars slip through. So I was able to find out I was far enough up," said Mark Spowart.

ODOT says they are already starting to tow these abandoned cars, so they're urging any drivers who may have left their vehicles behind to get to them before that happens or opt for a private tow, such as Triple-A, if possible.