Freezing rain arrived in the region last night and continued into the morning and it’s mixed with sleet to create hazardous driving conditions in Western Kentucky and northern Middle Tennessee.
The only weather-related injury accident reported this morning was a single-vehicle wreck just after 1 a.m. near the 70 mile-marker of I-24, with Christian County Sheriff’s Deputy Andy Sanderson saying Stevie Tidwell of Paducah had been westbound when he encountered ice and crashed into the cable median barrier.
Two passengers—Ronald Hoyle and Amanda Harris of Paducah—were both taken by EMS to local hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries.
Deputy Sanderson praised Kentucky Transportation Cabinet contracted snow plow driver Ron Darcy, who was out working in the early-morning hours and got out of his truck and freed one of the victims who was trapped before first responders arrived.
Sanderson says while I-24 is mostly clear, the Pennyrile Parkway has one clear lane and county roads remain slick and hazardous.
There have been several accidents near the 86 mile-marker of I-24 between 5:30 and 7 a.m.
Agencies across the region are reporting similar conditions and anyone who can stay at home today is urged to do so.
State, county and city crews are out this morning salting and plowing roads, working to get them in better condition.
Schools are closed or operating virtually in nearly every district in the region this morning including Christian, Todd, Trigg, Hopkins, Muhlenberg, Caldwell, Stewart and Montgomery Counties, in addition to Heritage Christian Academy, UHA, Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School, Hopkinsville Community College, Austin Peay State University and all campuses of Murray State.
A Winter Weather Advisory continues until 9 a.m. as light freezing rain continues and the National Weather Service says additional light freezing rain could fall between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. this evening.
The only large power outage reported by Pennyrile Electric is 105 members in the dark near Auburn in Logan County.
Find a complete list of closings and cancellations on our website.
