Winter Comes With Warnings, Road Closures

Those who attended sporting events out of town on Saturday, January 20, were enjoying the trend of slightly warmer weather when they returned home, some were at the basketball games with light jackets on. After all, spring is only 57 days away!

Then…Mother Nature snuck in a surprise and most of the hi-line was washed with ¼ to ½ inch of freezing rain during the night.

The Montana Department of Transportation in Malta closed the main highways in the county down for safety reasons. With safety as the first concern, the decision was made to close Highway 191 South and also Highway 2 running east and west in the county. Emergency travel means emergency travel. As it ended up, the entire crew from the MDT station in Malta was out working all day Sunday. Countless yards of sand was spread on the highways and many, many gallons of de-icer. The station covers 383 miles of highway from the Blaine County line to Saco, and north to the Border Station and south to Walsh’s. People are urged to check 511.net for road conditions or traffic hazards

Many viewers on Facebook were asking about the road conditions in the area. Some people had left town heading to various points, a number of them to Billings, only to come to a point in their travels where the only option was to pull over and wait for the ice to melt some. At the same time, individuals were checking out the conditions, wanting to come home to Malta.

Not all heed the word of the State Department and think they are either more experienced, know how to drive better, or are indifferent to what their actions will result in. They do not take into consideration that their choice to drive in these conditions and possibly have an accident, not only puts their life in danger, it also is placing the crew manning the EMS vehicles and the responding officer in danger.

If more than one vehicle is involved, the numbers go up. Do you think your travel is so important that you can put the lives of others on the line? Chances are, it won’t be you that has to tell a family with young children that their daddy or mommy won’t ever be coming home because they were involved in an accident when someone came upon their parked vehicle and couldn’t stop.

Black ice and overdriving the road conditions were the cause of several serious and costly accidents on Sunday. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries. Many were having accidents, sliding off the road, etc., and farmers and ranchers or passers-by came to their aid.

If you should happen to be driving and come to black ice, never use your cruise control. When there is a dense fog, drive with your headlights on dim. Should the fog be heavy, turning on the hazard lights to alert others of your whereabouts may prevent an accident.

Use that seventh sense that some just weren’t issued…common sense. Drive defensively and always watch out for the other guy. Some vehicles have nuts behind the wheels, be cautious. When the Sheriff’s Office or State Highway crew says NO TRAVEL, pay attention. And obey!

Next time you can, thank those who keep those roads open for you, respond to your distress calls and bring the ambulance to tend to you.

Saint Christopher is getting a headache keeping some people safe and working overtime, too.

It would be nicer to see you again, than have to view your body at a funeral home. There’s no need to make your name known by a white cross fatality marker alongside the roadway. Phillips County and Montana have enough of those.