Black ice causes 4 crashes in county
Black ice was a factor in four separate Crawford County crashes Saturday, Nov. 25, according to the sheriff’s department.
•A Soldiers Grove woman was injured in a one-vehicle rollover in the town of Clayton, at about 5:40 a.m.
Heidi Dillenburg, 44, was operating a 2004 Chevy Silverado westbound on Highway 171, in Clayton Township near the Richland County line. Dillenburg swerved to miss a deer and lost control of her vehicle due to black ice on the roadway. Her vehicle went off the north side embankment, causing the vehicle to overturn and go through a fence before coming to rest in a pasture, officials said.
Dillenburg was transported to Vernon Memorial Hospital for treatment of her injuries. The vehicle sustained severe damage and was towed from the scene.
Assisting at the scene was the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Soldiers Grove Fire, North Crawford Rescue Squad and the Crawford County Highway Department.
•At about 9:10 a.m., Ian Joy, 19, of Eastman, was eastbound on Highway 179 in his 2005 Chevy Malibu when he lost control due to black ice on the roadway. The vehicle went off the south side shoulder and into a culvert before coming to a rest, according to the sheriff’s department.
Joy claimed no injuries from the crash. His vehicle sustained disabling damage and had to be towed from the scene.
Assisting the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department was Milo’s Towing and Repair and the Crawford County Highway Department.
•Not much later, around 9:15 a.m., the sheriff’s department was notified of another one-vehicle crash, this time with property damage, on State Highway 171 in the township of Utica.
Gavin Schell, 16, of Gays Mills, was operating a 1998 Chevy S10 pickup westbound on Highway 171 when he lost control of his vehicle due to the black ice. The vehicle struck the north side guardrail, causing damage to the guardrail before coming to rest.
Schell was not injured in the crash. The vehicle was towed, though, as it sustained disabling damage in the crash.
Assisting at the scene were Ocooch Mountain Rescue Squad, Gays Mills Fire, the Crawford County Highway Department and Sleepy Hollow Towing.
•The fourth crash on Nov. 25 occurred at about 10:20 a.m. on County Road C in the township of Clayton.
Gerald Anderson III, 23, also of Gays Mills, was operating a 1993 GMC Sonoma westbound on County C when he lost control of the vehicle due to the black ice on the roadway. The Anderson vehicle went off the north side embankment, striking some trees before coming to rest.
Anderson escaped the crash uninjured, though his vehicle sustained moderate damage and was towed from the scene.
Assisting the sheriff’s department was Nagel’s Towing and the Crawford County Highway Department.
