SYCAMORE – After slick roads caused accidents that snarled traffic on Peace Road north of state Route 64 on Tuesday morning, Wednesday morning should be slightly smoother sailing.
DeKalb County Chief Deputy Andy Sullivan said you should still practice caution – for the next few months, in fact.
"Give yourself as much room as you can between your car and the one in front of you," Sullivan said.
Photos by Matthew Apgar - mapgar@shawmedia.com (Caption: Vehicles are shown stuck in a ditch along Peace Road, causing the road to be shut down at the intersection of Peace and Freed Roads on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018 in Sycamore.)
According to the National Weather Service, precipitation isn’t expected again until Sunday, and at that point, it will likely be rain.
That said, wind will be blowing from the west once again overnight, meaning motorists should be aware of potential drifting onto any north-south roads. The wind will only intensify Wednesday morning, from sub-10 mph to nearly 15 mph by noon.
Peace Road north of state Route 64 was re-opened about 10 a.m. Tuesday after slick roads caused multiple crashes and sent cars off the road morning, DeKalb County Deputy Chief Andy Sullivan said.
The passageway was closed about 8:15 a.m. Tuesday as first responders arrived at the scene of several reported crashes at Freed and Peace roads north of Route 64.
Sycamore firefighters responded to the "original crash" just before 8:15 a.m., Assistant Chief Todd Turner said.
The crash, involving three vehicles, occurred just north of the intersection of Peace Road and Freed Road. Four individuals were checked out but did not need to be hospitalized.
Turner said all three cars were upright, but one had slid into a ditch.
While fire crews were responding to the first crash, an ambulance came across a two-vehicle collision roughly one-quarter mile north on Peace Road.
According to a news release from the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office, a 2004 Nissan Altima driven by Devangi M. Sapra, 28, of the 100 block of Cloverdale Lane in Schaumburg, was southbond on Peace Road when she saw stalled traffic in front of her from another crash, so she hit the brakes. That caused her to lose control and skid into a 2009 Chevrolet Suburban driven by Melanie L. McNeal, 47, of the 700 block of Cottonwood Circle in Genoa. No injuries were reported in any of the crashes, Sullivan said. Both Sapra and McNeal were wearing their seat belts, according to the release.
Turner estimated the major thoroughfare was closed for roughly 30 minutes, while deputies and Sycamore police assisted in directing traffic.
Shortly after the report of those crashes, a minivan was reported to be stuck in a ditch along Peace Road between Franthum Road and Ward Boulevard, just east of the fire station on the north end of the city. Again, no injuries were reported.
North-south roads were precarious Tuesday morning because of drifting snow. Sullivan said those roads were as navigable as they could be, thanks to the county's highway department getting plows out early and often.
Turner echoed Sullivan's sentiments and suggested motorists leave early and not hurry.
Temperatures are expected to rise above the freezing point of 34 degrees Friday, and stay near or above that point through the weekend. In fact, highs on Saturday and Sunday are expected to be in the 40s.
"It appears at the moment that temperatures will be mild for a while, starting this weekend," said Ricky Castro, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s Chicago office. If you care to look ahead, the extended forecast first calls for snow Jan. 26.
Planning trips? In the next few weeks? Check those apps, alerts and such, and perhaps more important, make a plan before you leave home.
"Use winter driving habits and give yourself more time to get where you're going," Sullivan said.