Members of the Scarborough Fire Department work with a towing company after a vehicle slid off Sawyer Road in Scarborough on Friday morning. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
Icy weather caused cars to slide off roads across southern Maine on Friday, when a mix of rain, sleet, snow and freezing rain created slick road conditions throughout the day.
Maine State Police troopers had responded to 13 crashes and slide-offs on the Maine Turnpike by 4 p.m. and about 15 on Interstate 295, Department of Public Safety spokesperson Shannon Moss said. There were only minor injuries in the crashes, which mostly caused property damage. The speed limit was reduced to 45 mph for the entire length of the turnpike until early afternoon.
In Scarborough, police responded to crashes and slide-offs starting around 7 a.m., but there were no reported injuries. A car crashed into and broke a utility pole on Running Hill Road around 8:15 a.m. Another car “completely destroyed” posts and signs at a crosswalk on Black Point Road near the Eastern Trail, police said.
One car rolled over on Sawyer Road near Route 1 and several other minor crashes were reported throughout the morning as snow turned to freezing rain.
Members of the Scarborough Fire Department work with a towing company after a vehicle slid off Sawyer Road in Scarborough on Friday morning. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
“We’ve had every variety of terrible precipitation,” Scarborough Sgt. Michael Thurlow said. “It’s super slippery with lots of slush.”
Drivers often go too fast for the conditions and don’t leave enough distance between themselves and other cars, he said.
The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to a request for an update on weather-related road incidents Friday afternoon.
Other car crashes and slide-offs were reported in Biddeford, Waterboro and across York County.
York County Sheriff Bill King said his department responded to five slide-offs, but there were no major crashes. The National Weather Service warned drivers to take their time while traveling because of slick road conditions.
Paul Merrill, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Transportation, said people should stay off the roads during bad weather if possible.
“If they have to travel, we recommend they give themselves plenty of room and give our plow trucks plenty of room and courtesy,” he said.
The department says drivers should remember that stopping on snow and ice requires extra time and distance. Drivers need to slow down to adjust to the conditions, especially at intersections, off-ramps, bridges and shady areas where black ice can form without being noticed.
The department also advises people to allow extra room between vehicles, avoid using cruise control and be aware of other vehicles on the road.
The weather service said Mainers can expect snow Sunday.
Meteorologist Michael Clair said the Gray office doesn’t know how much snow will fall along Maine’s coast, but they’ll likely have a better idea Saturday.
“It’s at least something people will have to deal with, to shovel and plow and get out of the way,” he said.
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