AKRON: Snowstorms in Ohio on Saturday prompted multiple highway closures and driving advisories and led to dozens of crashes.
Westbound lanes of Interstate 76 in northeast Ohio were closed for hours after a series of crashes involving more than two dozen vehicles, but local police said there were no serious injuries, WEWS-TV in Cleveland reported.
The State Highway Patrol said whiteout conditions in parts of northern Ohio prompted officials to close part of the Ohio Turnpike in the Akron area, near its intersection with Interstate 77. Staff Lt. Shawn Lee said about 30 crashes were reported along the toll road by midafternoon.
Winds nearing 40 mph had blown water from Lake Erie onto Interstate 90, icing the road and causing at least one accident, according to The Plain Dealer newspaper.
Northeast Ohio wasn’t the only region coping with slick roads because of the snow. County sheriffs as far south as Jackson County issued advisories warning drivers to beware of icy routes or to stay home unless travel was necessary.
The highway patrol reported at least two fatal crashes in counties with snowfall but did not directly link the accidents to weather-related problems.
