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Drivers Pick Up Cars Abandoned On Area Highways

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A winter storm causes one of the worst cases of gridlock this area has ever seen, and not just one road, but many, including interstates.

Many people abandoned their cars on the road, opting to walk home in the heavy snow.

Kelly McPherson has more on hundreds of cars left on roads that were impassable.  

Drivers say road conditions were worse during this storm than last year's blizzards.

"This time it was completely insane," said Adam Czyz, who abandoned car.

"All of the cars were left in the middle of 83. You couldn't go straight. You couldn't go around. Oh, it was horrible," said Theresa Woods, trapped on I-83.

"I was afraid what might happen to the car when I left it, but what can I do?" said Czyz.

Drivers who abandoned their cars on I-83 and Northern Parkway dug out Thursday or found them relocated to Poly High.  Dozens of drivers felt they had no choice but to walk away.

"I got stuck right there on I-83, sitting there for about three hours, until I decided to just park the car and start walking," said Tony Murray, who abandoned his car.

"So this morning when we came out looking for the car, I was in hysterics because I thought they had towed the car. I called my mom and she said they had towed everybody here," said Leah Brown, who was picking up her towed car.

Woods had a Good Samaritan help her home.

"The doctor was kind enough to take me as far as he could, and then I walked home the rest of the way, a doctor from the University of Maryland. I didn't even get his name. He was like an angel," said Woods.

When the flakes stopped, frustration filled the air.

"This is crazy. What's the city doing? Everybody stranded out there. People run out of gas, people run out of money. What's the deal?" said Darien Tucker, stranded driver.

"There was a lot of things that were going on. We had lightrail down, we had buses that were stuck, we had power outages," said Adrienne Barnes, Baltimore City Department of Transportation.

Secondary roads will be salted and plowed next.  And neighborhood streets?

"I can't give that answer right now. Right now, we're going to be working diligently.  We ask people to be patient," said Barnes.  

Dozens of cars had to be towed. If your car was located on Northern Parkway or the JFX, your car was relocated to Poly for free. 

Motorists whose cars were towed from interstates should contact the Maryland State Police barracks in the county where they abandoned their vehicles. A list of barracks is at www.mdsp.org.

Troopers also warn drivers that they could still encounter abandoned vehicles on the interstates, and urge caution when passing a tow truck attempting to remove an abandoned vehicle

Meanwhile, if you were parked somewhere you weren't supposed to be, that means you were probably towed. Call a local impound lot to find your car.

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