Slick commute for morning drivers - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Central Indiana drivers had to deal with icy conditions on area streets and highways Wednesday morning. Light snow and freezing temperatures caused numerous problems on the road.

There were several reports of crashes Wednesday morning. One of them was along northbound I-65 just before the 38th Street collector, where a crash was blocking the left hand lanes, causing major slow-downs.  There were also reports of a crash between a car and a Pike Township school bus at 62nd and Lafayette Road. No reports of any injuries there.

Also on the northwest side, a vehicle slid off the road and into a retention pond at 86th Street and Township Line Road. The driver was able to get out of the vehicle without any major injuries.

Morning commuters who use Kessler Boulevard had some trouble going up a steep hill, due to the icy conditions this morning. Metro Police had to block off a section of Kessler Boulevard, diverting eastbound at Fox Hill Road and westbound traffic on Kessler at Spring Mill Road.

Drivers on Kessler Boulevard near Fox Hill got stuck along with a few school buses. Police closed down Kessler until salt trucks arrived to help melt the ice.

One of the students on a school bus texted her mother about the ice.

"There is a bus behind her and another bus that is down the hill that is caddy corner on the street with its rear tires like off the road. They are sitting there this morning and then there are cars there trying to pass them and they are sliding and at one point a semi comes around," said Cynthia Martin-Roper.

Eyewitness News contacted the Department of Public Works this morning. They tell us they had 6 salt trucks out treating the roadways overnight, but DPW spokesman Steve Hardiman says the ice caught the department by surprise and forced them to call in 30 more drivers during the morning commute.

"It looks like temperatures dropped a little lower than what was forecasted, so we knew we had to get some more help in," he said.

Body shop owner Greg Langford showed a row of cars wrecked in weather-related crashes.

"If you get in a hurry, this is the kind of stuff that happens. I saw people this morning driving way too fast. It was really slick," Langford said.

With so many cars damaged, Langford and his repair crews have a big job getting drivers back behind the wheel.

Meteorologist Nicole Misencik says there was just enough snow on the ground this morning to make the roads slick.  Less than a half inch of snow fell at the Indianapolis International Airport this morning, about 1.7 inches of snow in Alexandria.

Light snow showers will continue through midday with reduced visibility, and icy conditions. Temps will stay below freezing until noon, and wind gusts out of the northwest up to 30 miles per hour and will give us wind chills in the teens. Tonight, the clouds break up and temperatures will fall into the low 20s. On Thursday, clouds will be on the increase as we top out in the mid 40s. Late Thursday and into Thursday night, we'll see scattered showers and a wintry mix.

In Noble County, Indiana State Police say a young Kendallville couple were injured in a single-car crash on State Road 8 near County Road 800 E. Police say Tyler Mumma, 20, was eastbound on State Road 8 at around 8:15 am when he lost control due to ice and snow on the roadway. The vehicle went off the road and took down a utility pole. Mumma and his wife were both wearing seatbelts and had non-life-threatening injuries. They were taken to a Fort Wayne hospital and their car is a total loss.

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