Raucous Rush Hour
Police respond to 35 accidents

McKinsley Ericho, cuts a damaged section of guardrail on from the Exit 20 overpass on I-40 Tuesday afternoon while Demitro Trujillo keeps it from falling. The guardrail was damaged when a semi hit it Tuesday morning. It will take the New Mexico Department of Transportation bridge crew from Milan about two days to fix the quardrail. (Photo by John A. Bowersmith/Independent)

By Leslie Wood
Staff Writer

GALLUP — Law enforcement responded to more than 35 accidents on Tuesday morning and closed portions of Interstate 40 to remove a semi-truck that was lodged in a guard rail.

Calls for assistance echoed from police scanners as state, sheriff's and Gallup police responded to one accident after another on local roadways that were coated with the remnants of Monday's snow storm.

New Mexico State Police Capt. Jerry Cottrell said a Mayflower semi-truck slid off Interstate 40 near Mile Marker 26 when its driver lost control of the vehicle.

According to reports, the truck destroyed a sizable section of a guard rail that lined the Interstate and required repair.

To remove the semi from the shoulder, state police blocked the interstate from oncoming traffic at Mile Marker 26 at about 9 a.m. and expected to resume traffic flow to the area 20 to 30 minutes later. The driver of the semi's condition was not available as of press time.

Cottrell said the interstate was not closed due to poor road conditions, but was closed so a wrecker could pull the semi-truck from the shoulder. He said traffic was diverted from the location through Gallup.

From just after midnight until about 10 a.m. Tuesday, state police responded to 16 accidents, Gallup Police responded to seven and the sheriff's department to 12, a metro dispatch employee said.

None of the accidents were reportedly classified as resulting in serious injuries. Cottrell said a majority of the accidents could be attributed to drivers not coordinating their vehicle's speeds to the roadway conditions.

"People just drive too fast or too close to other vehicles," Cottrell said.

As of 10 a.m., he said roads were beginning to improve.

"Roads are usually passable by about 10 a.m.," he said. "People really shouldn't begin to travel until about that time when they know there's been a storm."