March 2014
Page 3
Snow Storms Wreak Havoc On Drivers, Traffic In The Northwest Guilford Area
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A pickup truck flipped over in the snow after sliding in a ditch. Reader photo.
By The Star NW GUILFORD COUNTY - This year’s winter seems to keep folks off balance with 70 degree temperatures followed by repeated bouts of ice and snow. In February, multiple snow storms buffeted the area and once again wreaked havoc with drivers in the area. On the edge of Summerfield and Oak Ridge near Northwest High School during one of the recent snowstorms, several cars were stuck on the road and were abandoned by their drivers. The pileup took place near the intersection of Bunch Road and Brookbank Road, where there is a tight curve going up a steep hill. The area was filled with stuck vehicles who either started sliding down the hill or had to stop to avoid hitting other vehicles and then could not move again. The situation was so bad that after the snowstorm began, the area was actually closed off by authorities to keep more cars from getting stuck in the area. At one point, there were around a dozen vehicles stuck either in the road, on the side of the road, or in the ditch. Many of the cars were removed after a couple of days had passed, but there were still a few vehicles seen on the side of the road that had not been removed by some owners several days later. If towed by a contractor hired by the Highway Patrol, drivers should know that they shouldn’t have to pay too much. The North Carolina Attorney General's Office said that drivers should expect to pay between $100 and $150 to have their cars towed if they were removed during the storm. Since the anti-gouging law is in effect during the storm, if they are charged much more than that, they can file a complaint about the tow company with the NCAG’s office. Highway 68 has also been a tough spot during snow storms, with accidents taking place near the large hill in Oak Ridge near the Old Mill at Guilford. According to Sergeant J.J. Hamlett of the District One office of the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department, Pleasant Ridge Road in Summerfield was also the scene of a large traffic backup. Sgt. Hamlett said that the hill near the intersection of Pleasant Ridge Road and Bunch Road was the scene of a massive traffic blockage the likes of which he had not seen in a long time. “I have never seen that much traffic backed up on Pleasant Ridge Road on a dry day,” said Sgt. Hamlett. He said that drivers of two sports cars were blocking both lanes. One was a Hyundai two door car and the other was a Toyota. “They were both pointed in the same direction,” said Hamlett. Apparently, one driver tried to make it up the hill and got stuck and then the other driver decided to pass them and got stuck as well. Neither driver could move their car, so traffic stopped in both directions. “Traffic was backed up for almost four miles,” said Sgt. Hamlett. Hamlett said the two cars were finally moved to get traffic flowing again. Continued on Page 4...
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