It is the moment when a car crashes onto the road after a snowplow sprays a torrential amount of ice chunks on the traffic ahead.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol stated that at most 40 cars had been damaged or were involved in accidents due to flying debris. Twelve people were also injured by it in the accident on the Ohio Turnpike. It occurred in Erie County on January 23, 2012.
Video taken by Michael Lemon, truck driver, shows that the plow appears to be traveling at 70 mph. This causes it to dump hardened snow onto cars going in the other direction.
Ohio State Highway Patrol: At least 40 cars were injured by falling debris on the Ohio Turnpike (Erie County) on January 23. A car that was hit by a jet of snow and ice crashes onto the side of the road.
Michael Lemon, truck driver, captured footage of his dashcam showing the plow traveling at 70 mph. This causes it to push hardened snow and other slushy debris into the direction that is opposite.
Lemon captured the snow plow on the opposite side to the highway.
Vehicles in front are engulfed by a jet of snow, water and slush. One swerves along the roads and across lanes.
Lemon said: ‘I’ve never seen anything like that. It was a shock to me that someone could act so foolishly.
He told 3WTKR other drivers did not know how to react either, saying: ‘A lot of them didn’t even know what to do, they just they kind of tried to stay in their own lane and hope to weather it.’
Many cars suffered serious damage due to the snow plow debris. Lemon stated that the car in Lemon’s video had a large hole in its windshield.
According to him, he stopped and spoke with victims of the collision. Some had shoulder and arm injuries. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, none of these injuries are life-threatening.
Many cars suffered severe damage due to the snow plow debris. Lemon claimed that one of the cars in Lemon’s video suffered a hole in the windshield.
Lemon said that he was also struck by the truck and that one of his headlights got blown from the hood.
Timothy S Rakay (54), from Berea, has been identified by the plow truck driver. The driver of the plow truck was placed on administrative leave. He is currently not hurt and cooperating with investigators.
Contact was made to the Ohio State Highway Patrol at 1.46pm on Sunday.
The snowplow had been traveling west and was dumping large amounts of snow onto eastbound vehicles.
Many cars suffered severe damage due to the snow plow debris. Lemon claimed that one of the cars in Lemon’s video suffered a hole in its front windshield.
The spokesperson from the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission stated that the vehicle seemed to have driven it for “a few miles”.
A spokesperson stated that a truck driver driving westbound on a plow truck with a wing plow was plowing snow in the left lanes and shoulder.
“Beginning at the State Route 117 Milepost, near the State Route 250 interchange,” the operator of the snowplow truck was throwing snow, water, and slush onto the oncoming traffic.
“This seems to have happened over a few miles, resulting damage to around 40 cars and trucks. It also caused accidents and unfortunately, injuries.
“As is the case with all incidents that result in injury or accident, the employee was removed immediately from their shift and sent to undergo mandatory drug and alcohol tests.
“The employee currently is on an administrative leave while these investigations are completed. Once the results of those investigations are known, appropriate action will take place.
The vehicles were removed from the turnpike by the Ohio State Patrol and Ohio Turnpike Maintenance.
“We brought the customers to Milan (Ohio) as well as a local hotel and restaurant.
“We’re coordinating our efforts and are in the process of contacting all customers who were affected by yesterday’s snowplow incident.
Ohio State Highway Patrol are investigating and potentially charging the victim.