Accidents pile up as icy bridges surprise morning commuters

FARGO - Light snow created slippery driving conditions on bridges and overpasses in the Fargo-Moorhead area this morning, catching motorists by surprise and leading to several accidents.

Eight accidents - there of them rollovers - were reported between 6 and 7:10 a.m. on interstates 29 and 94 in Fargo and West Fargo, said Sgt. Dave Wolf of the North Dakota Highway Patrol.

No one was seriously injured, he said.

A surprise snow squall and an unanticipated drop in temperature were to blame for the icy conditions, said Bruce Nord, maintenance superintendent for the North Dakota Department of Transportation.

"Winter's here. You've got to slow down," he said.

The DOT had trucks sanding the bridges, which became icy with the air temperature around 30 degrees. Roads were mostly just wet, as the surface temperature was about 33 degrees, Nord said.

Roads in rural Cass County were wet but weren't causing any problems, Cass County Sheriff's Deputy Steve Sprecher said.

The occupants of one vehicle that rolled on I-29 near Fleet Farm in south Fargo were trapped in the vehicle, but no one was injured, Wolf said. A construction trailer being pulled by a pickup slid off I-94 in West Fargo and tipped over, but the pickup remained upright, he said.

"We're advising people just to be aware of the traffic conditions and adjust their driving pattern accordingly," Wolf said. "Who would expect a morning like this? I guess I didn't even anticipate something like this. But the driving conditions can change day to day, and just be aware of what's in front of you."