By Owen Boss
Staff Writer
Wednesday's snowstorm had area police departments responding to a large number of car accidents, one of which forced state police to track down the occupants of an overturned vehicle.
Police officers out assisting travelers reported more than 30 accidents in Hampshire County alone, 25 of which occurred along Interstate 91.
Although many cars braving the snow collided or went off the road, Adam Hurtubise, a spokesman for the executive office of transportation, said MassHighway was doing everything it could to keep roads clear - using more than 3,600 pieces of equipment statewide during the height of the storm.
One rollover accident, which state police Sgt. Andy Bzdel said occurred at approximately 3:25 p.m. on I-91 southbound between Exits 21 and 22, was particularly unusual because responding officers found that all of the vehicle's occupants had fled the scene.
A state police trooper responding to the accident reported seeing three men standing next to a flipped Ford Explorer while he was passing in the northbound lane, Bzdel said, but no one was present when he reached the vehicle.
Several minutes later, Bzdel said, another trooper reported that he saw three men, matching the occupants' description, walking along Route 5 in Hatfield.
When they were stopped and questioned, all three claimed to not speak any English and have no knowledge of the accident, but did say they worked at a local farm.
The car, which police have since impounded, was registered to an address in West Palm Beach, Fla., and state police are still investigating the men, who Bzdel said were unable to provide any forms of identification.
The interstate, however, was not the only location reporting numerous weather-related accidents. A handful of motor vehicle accidents were reported by police in Northampton, Amherst, Hadley and Belchertown, none of which resulted in serious injuries.
According to the National Weather Service, drivers hitting the road today are likely to see much better driving conditions, with Wednesday afternoon's freezing rain expected to stop by midnight. Today's forecast calls for sunny skies with a high near 32.
"Once we get the roads all clear we will pack it in for the night," said Guilford Mooring, superintendent of Amherst's Department of Public Works. "And we will be coming in very early tomorrow morning so that we will be ready to sand and salt for the morning commute."
Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.
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