Slick conditions cause backups on I-65

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - One car after another was stuck on the side of Interstate 65 Wednesday morning, after Mother Nature dumped about five inches of snow in the Lafayette area.

Marc Buhrmester was one of those not-so-lucky motorists who found himself in a ditch on his way to work.

"I was just coming in and hit some black ice and spun out of control," Buhrmester said.

Buhrmester's vehicle spun out of control and nearly five hours later Buhrmester was still sitting, waiting to get pulled out.

"It gave me a good chance to get my truck cleaned out," Buhrmester said. "Basically I've just been sitting here listening to the radio waiting until the tow truck shows up."

Just a few miles down I-65 between State Road 38 and State Road 26, traffic was shifted to one lane going northbound for about an hour.

A semi-truck traveling to Chicago also ended up in a ditch and caused a traffic backup.

"I used the brakes, too, and I lost control and look what happened," semi-truck driver Pawel Wegelarz said. 

Sergeant Kim Riley with Indiana State Police said the most common cause of weather-related accidents is when drivers underestimate road conditions.

"Snow doesn't cause crashes," Sergeant Riley explained. "It's because people drive too fast for the conditions of the roadway. It's the same way if it rains, snows, sleets or whatever, if the conditions of the roadway are wet or slick, you cannot run 70 miles an hour on the interstate. Slow down to 40, 30 or even 20 miles an hour if you have to."

Law enforcement officials reminded motorists Wednesday to drive safely and to be cautious of the slick roads until Mother Nature sends some sun to the Hoosier state.