Winter Reminds Drivers It’s Not Over Sudden Storm Creates Hazardous Roads; Outage In Mead

Motorists slid, crashed and abandoned their cars on slippery roads all over Eastern Washington and North Idaho on Saturday night.

“You’d think it was the first snow of the winter instead of the last,” said Laurie Madden, a dispatcher in Bonners Ferry, who reported seven minor accidents after 4 p.m.

In Washington, four people were taken to Deaconess Medical Center about 7:30 p.m. when a van rolled off the road on U.S. Highway 195 south of Spangle. Three or four other cars smashed into the van, the Washington State Patrol reported.

One of the patients had been released by 11 p.m. The emergency room supervisor said the she thought the other three also would be released shortly. No names were available.

Troopers were spread thin.

“There are three to four other injury accidents we haven’t even gotten to yet,” one dispatcher said at 8:30 p.m.

Accident calls continued to roll in through the night. Fire District 9 reported two vehicles slid off an embankment near Market and Mount Spokane Park Drive about 10:46 p.m.

About 2,000 people in Mead, north of Spokane, lost power at 8:42 p.m. when a snow-heavy tree fell and hit a power line, said Kelly Conley, a spokesperson for Washington Water Power. Power was restored at 10:16, Conley said.

The WSP also reported about eight minor crashes on Interstate 90 near Cheney and Medical Lake and north on U.S. Highway 395 near Deer Park.

Idaho State Police troopers reported several cars sliding off the road and a “ton of abandoned vehicles,” one dispatcher said.

“They just leave,” he said of the motorists. It’s happening “everywhere. You name it, wherever there is snow or slick roads.”

One car smashed into the median on Interstate 90 at the Port of Entry, the Idaho State Police reported. The driver, whose name was not available, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.

The ISP closed Lookout Pass at 8:30 p.m. Kootenai, Benewah and Bonner County dispatchers also reported cars sliding off roads, starting about 5 p.m.

Snow began falling about 5 p.m. at the Spokane International Airport, the National Weather Service reported. Snow and rain began in North Idaho about 3 p.m.

In Montana, snow accumulated up to 9 inches deep Saturday and evening temperatures began plummeting to winter levels. At 10 p.m., snow was reported at Kalispell, Butte, Bozeman, Livingston, Great Falls, while temperatures dropped to 7 below zero at Cut Bank, 4 below at Sidney and 1 below at Great Falls.