Unexpected Dusting Causes Unexpected Problems
The sights, the sounds of the season. As quickly as the area becomes a winter wonderland, it turns into a danger zone.
Even with temperatures above freezing, a hidden patch of ice sends two cars crashing head on into one another.
49-year-old Elisha Jenkins and 16-year-old Nicholas Carden, both from Rougemont, were injured in the accident. Jenkins is listed in serious condition, Carden in stable.
Accident witness Edgar Johnson commented on how drivers need to show extra caution on roads that the Department of Transportation likely had not put sand on yet.
It was more than just a problem on the roads. The shade and the cold combined to make a rare sight at RDU. Crews were forced to de-ice some of the planes, causing some early morning delays.
Even by afternoon, it looked like Old Man Winter didn't have plans on leaving every place. The snow-covered grass glistened, making for a beautiful coutry drive. But even off the road, the outdoors was not the ideal place to be.
Some men tried to make the best of it while cleaning up their church grounds, staying close to the burning debris.
A big worry, though, is that even at the height of the day, not all of the ice was able to melt. And even that ice that did could very likely refreeze.
Driver Tina Clayton noticed several wrecks from people trying to drive on the icy conditions.
And that's the problem. It's often hard to tell just how fast or slow to go, showing that even someone's best judgment can't always keep Mother Nature from throwing them into a spin.
Terri Grucareporting.
