Abandoned cars left on icy roads after winter weather hits Oklahoma
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - Icy weather conditions swept through Oklahoma overnight, leaving a sheet of ice on roads, side streets and sidewalks.
Many drivers attempting to make the Monday morning commute ended up ditching cars in the middle of the street, which added another obstacle for drivers to avoid.
In the Deep Deuce neighborhood near Bricktown, a stranded mail truck and a white Toyota 4-Runner sat in the middle of 2nd Street, surrounded by ice.
KFOR watched as drivers attempted to climb nearby hills in neighborhoods, spinning out and sliding to a stop.
The sidewalks downtown were just as dangerous.
"It was more of like a kind of a slip and slide type measure and you kind of take really small steps,” said Christian Calhoun, who was visiting from Florida. “It was kind of scary. I'm not used to this."
Calhoun said he woke up this morning and walked out of his hotel to treacherous and slick sidewalks. Braving the weather for a cup of coffee was a chore, said Calhoun.
"I kind of did some research before I got on the plane, so I had an idea there was going to be some ice, but not like this," said Calhoun.
J.J. Wood lives in downtown Oklahoma City. He was attempting to navigate icy streets with his dog, Brodie, who needed a bathroom break.
"When you've got to go, you've got to go,” said Wood. “Rain, sleet, or snow or now ice."
EMSA reported it responded to 56 slip and fall calls in Oklahoma City by 4:30 p.m. Monday. Of those calls, 42 people were hurt enough to be taken to the hospital.
Since midnight, Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers have responded to 222 non-injury collisions, 40 injury collisions, 139 motorist assists and 46 abandoned vehicles.
Oklahoma City Police suspended its non-emergency services due to the staggering number of crash calls.
The slick weather has also overwhelmed towing services.
Barnes Wrecker Service told News 4 the phone at the office rang every five minutes for four hours straight.
The company was forced to refuse calls because tow trucks had trouble getting to some people stranded on bad roads. Instead, they reserved their fleet for police calls.
Arrow Wrecker Service faced the same scenario. The company said it took hundreds of calls Monday and ran out of trucks to help drivers and semis stuck on roads.