This Morning’S Driving Likely To Be Dangerous

Wed., Jan. 12, 2000

Carol Macpherson Adam Lynn Contribute Staff writer

This morning’s commute is expected to be just like Tuesday’s: bad. Except it might be snowier and slicker.

“Police are anticipating that going to work is going to be particularly dangerous,” Spokane police spokesman Dick Cottam said.

Between midnight Monday and 8 p.m. Tuesday, dispatchers took 140 collision calls, Cottam said. Subtracting for repeat calls, police estimate there were 100 true collisions called in, he said. During the same hours, the county received 75 calls, Spokane County sheriff’s spokesman Dave Reagan said.

Officials didn’t have numbers on how many of the collisions resulted in injuries. But there were definitely injuries, Reagan said.

One particularly bad spot in the county Tuesday was on Argonne near Bigelow Gulch, where it was reported more than 50 vehicles slid off the hill, Reagan said.

Sgt. Steve Turcott of the Washington State Patrol said troopers investigated 45 collisions in the Spokane area between midnight Monday and 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Only six involved enough damage for official reports to be taken.

Turcott blamed most of the wrecks on inattentive or negligent driving.

“I saw one lady driving with snow covering both her headlights and taillights. That might not have been so bad, but she also was speeding and holding a bowl of cereal in one hand,” Turcott said.

“I was hoping she was only drinking out of the bowl, but when she slowed down for a red light, I saw her digging cereal out of the bowl with a spoon, basically driving with no hands, I pulled her over and gave her a ticket for negligent driving.”

Staff writer Adam Lynn contributed to this report.

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