A winter storm that dumped snow and ice on Guernsey and surrounding counties created slippery roadways and headaches for motorists throughout the day Wednesday.
The Cambridge post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol reported investigating nine accidents on Interstates 70 and 77, Route 513, Route 821 and Old 21 Road (County Road 35) that resulted in injuries to several motorists. No life-threatening injuries were reported locally, according to authorities.
Multiple rollover accidents were reported including a tractor-trailer hauling brine on I-70 near the Quaker City exit.
Emergency responders were also dispatched to a vehicle in a pond after leaving I-77 near the Guernsey-Noble county line.
According to reports, the tanker rollover on I-70 occurred at 9:24 a.m. near mile post 194.
The driver was initially trapped inside the truck, according to callers reporting the accident. A crew from United Ambulance later reported the unidentified driver, who suffered minor injuries, was freed from the heavily-damaged truck.
Responders from the Antrim, Fairview and Quaker City fire departments responded to the scene along with United, highway patrol troopers and the Ohio Department of Transportation.
Fluids were reportedly leaking from the truck, which was hauling brine, resulting in a hazardous materials crew from the Cambridge Fire Department and the Guernsey County Emergency Management Agency being dispatched to the scene in the eastern portion of the county.
Crews at the time of the accident reported the fluids were from the truck and not leaking brine.
One lane of I-70 was closed at the accident scene for several hours.
Two additional accidents on westbound I-70 in eastern Guernsey County were reported at 10:03 a.m. (mile post 198) and 11:21 a.m. (mile post 199 in Belmont County). Emergency responders from the Fairview and Quaker City fire departments were dispatched to the scene along with Old Washington medical personnel and highway patrol troopers.
A dispatch log at the Guernsey County Sheriff’s Office indicated the accident at mile post 198 involved a vehicle over an embankment with a person slumped over inside the vehicle. It was later determined the driver was not injured.
The accident at mile post 199 involved a silver car striking a tree after leaving the roadway.
The accident involving a vehicle leaving I-77 near mile post 39 and coming to rest in a pond was reported at 12:24 a.m., according to the highway patrol.
Emergency responders from the Lore City, Pleasant City and Senecaville fire departments were dispatched to the scene along with United Ambulance crews that reportedly included a dive team.
The dispatch log at the sheriff’s office indicated one person in a dry suit was entering the water, but there was no additional information available as of press time. The highway patrol reported the unidentified driver was injured, but had no other information as of press time regarding the dive team search.
Emergency responders remained at the scene until approximately 2 p.m.
A second accident near the Guernsey-Noble county line was reported on Route 821 approximately one mile south of Pleasant City. The accident involved a pickup truck on its top, but no injuries were reported.
Two accidents occurred in Noble County on I-77 at the 36 and 32 mile posts.
The crash at mile post 32 involved a truck over a guardrail that resulted in no injuries while the accident at mile post 36 occurred when a sport-utility vehicle traveled off the roadway. Minor injuries were reported at the scene of the second accident.
The accident on Route 513 was a non-injury crash and the accident on Old 21 Road involved a vehicle striking a guardrail without injuries to the motorist.
No information was available for the remaining accidents.
All of the crashes remained under investigation by the highway patrol as of press time Thursday.