Latest MetroRegion Kansas City Winter Storm Contributes to 2 Traffic Deaths

This wasn't like the other storms MetroRegion Kansas City has suffered through this Winter of 2010-2011- less than a half-foot of snow fell that was preceded by sleet- but it had it's moments and some were tragic.


In Miami county KS- an icy U.S. 169 between Osawatomie and Greeley KS is said to have been a factor in 2 traffic crashes near Stanton Road in the far southwestern part of that county that resulted in 2 deaths and 5 injuries.

As I reported here last night on CSW what initially was a confusing scenario- one person- indentified by the Miami county Sheriff's department as "53-year-old Mary Crawford of Garnett-" drowned when a vehicle went off U.S. 169 there and into a lake that was a former rock quarry according to frequent CSW contributor "Superdave."

Two women were in that car and one of them managed to get out and swim to shore- where she was helped by a Good Samaritan.

The other woman drowned in the car- recovered by divers later Thursday night.

While the drama from that crash was unfolding- two other vehicles- possibly distracted by the commotion of the first crash- collided head-on on the highway.

One person died at that crash- identified by MiCo Sheriff as "66-year-old Mary C. Stuccey" from an unstated location in "Wisconsin" state.

Five others were injured- of those one adult and a 9-month-old infant were critically hurt.

It took nearly all of Miami county's EMS resources nearly an hour to transport those injured on slick roadways to Metro Kansas City hospitals.


After that tragedy- a number of Interstates in Metro Kansas City became so slick and clogged with cars and trucks unable to move that those highways had to be closed.


All of those closed Interstates were re-opened by Friday morning's commute- but at least 1 KC-MO roadway- the Southwest Trafficway hill north of 31st Street to I-35- had to be closed due to ice on the pavement.

While the snow had ended by midnight Friday morning and the number of traffic crashes decreased- there were still an above-average number of those incidents

The most severe crash as of this report was on U.S. 71 south on M-58 highway in Raymore before 6 a.m. where a male driver was seriously-injured when his vehicle rolled-over after hitting a patch of ice on the highway.


If all of this isn't enough- a couple of more storm systems will move through the Central States over the weekend into Monday morning.

There's a slight chance of more light snow over mainly the northern half of the MetroRegion Saturday night into early Sunday- then a rapid warm-up Sunday that will actually bring a chance of showers and thunderstorms over our region- then another cold front that may turn that precip to snow into early next Monday morning.

Of course- CSW will keep you informed on those weather possibilities as we do our overnight-thing Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Good news?

It will probably go into the 50's Sunday and into at least the lower 60's later next week- and no super-cold air (teens or lower) is expected throughout the period.

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