Snowfall makes a slippery mess on Tulsa area highways

Nearly a dozen people are recovering after a 20-car pileup on I-244 in Tulsa Thursday morning. Snowfall sent some drivers sliding. <br/><br/>Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers say it was enough to cause

Thursday, March 23rd 2006, 6:14 am

By: News On 6

Nearly a dozen people are recovering after a 20-car pileup on I-244 in Tulsa Thursday morning. Snowfall sent some drivers sliding.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers say it was enough to cause a domino effect that shut down the highway for more than two hours.

News on 6 reporter Heather Lewin says about 2 inches of snow was all it took to turn a Tulsa highway into a smashed up snarl of traffic that took hours to clear. It happened just after 6 AM on I-244 between Yale and Sheridan.

Drivers say once it started, they couldn't stop the chain reaction. â€œI started seeing everybody flipping around and I hit this truck head on and then the semi hit me, and then that one hit me and it was by the grace of God that I climbed out of that truck."

Amazingly, no one was seriously injured, but eight people were taken to area hospitals. Tulsa Fire Captain Michael Baker: "Obviously weather conditions probably played a factor in the crash. We had probably 20 vehicles involved, we're really fortunate we didn't have anybody who required extrication or rescue, but it was quite a mess this morning."

Several Tulsa motorists also lost control at US highway 75 and I-44. No word of any injuries there, but definitely some frightening moments.

While there's no sign of more snow in the air, the problems caused by the cold aren't over yet. Daffodils held up the best they could under the weight of the weather, but early spring blossoms may not survive Thursday nightâ€™s freeze without some protection. Remember master gardeners say you shouldn't put plastic on your plants, but use a blanket or canvas or even just a cardboard box.

It could be a rough night for animals outdoors as well, you may want to be sure yours have a safe, warm place to sleep.

OHP troopers say Thursday's pileup was likely due to drivers going too fast and following too closely for the poor weather conditions.