Carroll County Commuters Met With Heavy Snow And Icy Patches

WESTMINSTER, Md. (WJZ)—Carroll County was one of the areas hardest hit by the storm in Maryland.

Rochelle Ritchie has more on the conditions there.

About 9 inches of snow fell in Carroll County. It was just enough to shut down schools, roads and send many drivers spinning out of control.

Tow truck drivers in Carroll County are working around the clock to pull stranded cars out of ditches and put them back on the road.

"Last night wasn't too bad. We were out maybe 12 or 1 o'clock and it all calmed down. Then this morning it went crazy," said John Reiter, tow truck driver.

Whether it's the phone, the Internet or even the fax machine, drivers are using any means necessary to get help.

"Everybody is stuck in a ditch. They left their car last night, and we're pulling them out today," said Kim Reiter, dispatcher.

State police say a number of cars are ending up in ditches because of the icy conditions, as well as speed.

"They hit an area where they feel like they have a little bit of traction but then they don't," said Lt. Patrick McCrory, Maryland State Police.

The icy road conditions are too much for school buses to handle. The sidewalks are coated in snow, so school is out.

"The sideways was covered with ice, slippery," said Kobe Crone, of Westminster.

Instead of math and history classes, Kobe Crone is getting a lesson in humility and generosity from his dad as he shovels sidewalks.

"This is a friend of mine. He fell last week and got hurt. He comes home from the hospital today, so I figured I'd come. Actually, I was going to plow, but we couldn't plow it because of it being stone, so we had to shovel it," said Brandon Crone, of Kobe's father.

With more winter weather expected, Maryland State Police are hoping people clear as much snow as they can on their own and those behind the wheel are reminded to slow down.

"Just because it looks like it's not icy doesn't mean it isn't. You've got black ice on the roadways. You've got patches of ice," McCrory said.

A heavy fog has started to settle over the Westminster area of Carroll County. That's going to make the driving conditions even worse. With a lot of moisture on the road that could possibly freeze, people need to be aware of those icy patches.

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