OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) – Snow moving through Winnebago County turned Wednesday’s evening commute into a busy stretch for first responders, dispatchers and tow crews as icy roads led to dozens of crashes and hundreds of calls for help.
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According to a Facebook post from the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, between 3:15 and 6:15 p.m., dispatchers handled 121 9-1-1 calls. They responded to 97 crashes, vehicles in the ditch or other weather-related hazards across the county. Officials say that the surge came as drivers were heading home during rapidly changing road conditions.
Field Services Captain Darin Rice said deputies saw a sharp increase in incidents tied to the weather.
“During yesterday’s weather event. We saw a significant increase in motor vehicle accidents from approximately 3 p.m. yesterday until this morning,” Rice said. “We had 49 different calls for service regarding either motor vehicle accidents or vehicles that had gone into the ditch due to adverse road conditions.
Rice explained that those 49 calls reflected the Sheriff’s Office response, while the county communications center was also handling calls for multiple municipalities, including Neenah, Menasha, Oshkosh, Omro and Winneconne. At times, he said, nearly every deputy on duty was responding to crashes.
“Basically, everybody who was on duty was responding to crashes or motor vehicle accidents. If there wasn’t a more pressing call for service,” he said.
Tow truck drivers were also stretched thin throughout the evening. Dan Geiger with Nolte’s Towing said crews were pulling vehicles from ditches for hours as icy patches caught drivers off guard.
“We saw enough, I mean, a bus hit a pole, a bunch of cars sliding out everywhere, going in the ditch, just cause everybody drives too fast, don’t slow down,” Geiger said.
Despite the high number of calls, officials say most crashes resulted in minor injuries and no major incidents caused long-term harm. Still, both deputies and tow operators are urging drivers to slow down and plan as more winter weather remains possible.
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“To avoid it, just slow down and take your time. I mean, no matter where you’re going, it’s not worth your car, your life. So why drive so fast?” Geiger said.
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