STARKVILLE — Both eastbound and westbound lanes of Highway 82 were closed for more than 90 minutes Thursday evening in Oktibbeha County as several vehicles slid off the road icy roadway.
Trouble started around 5 p.m., when sleet and freezing rain formed a thin layer of ice on bridges over Ruth Road and Highway 182 in Clayton Village.
“Those bridges, besides being icy, are curved and banked,” Oktibbeha County Fire Services Coordinator Kirk Rosenhan said.
Several vehicles slid into each other and slid off the road, including a tractor-trailer, Rosenhan said. No serious injuries were reported, but the highway was closed from about 5:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Rosenhan said.
Traffic backed up for miles and several vehicles attempted to cross the median, but became stuck.
“We had a backup as far as you could see,” Rosenhan said.
Another wreck occurred on Highway 82 at the Old West Point Road overpass. There, a vehicle slid off road, went down a hill and rolled over. The victim, who Rosenhan did not identify, was transported to OCH Regional Medical Center.
“He had some injuries, but was conscious and not in bad shape,” Rosenhan said.
Rosenhan described the roads as “very slick and very dangerous.” At least five wrecks occurred between Highway 45 Alternate and Clayton Village, he said.
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