GEORGETOWN, Del. — Days after the snowfall, ice remains on cars across the area, posing a serious danger to drivers and pedestrians, according to emergency officials.
That danger became clear Thursday when a chunk of ice flew off a truck in Georgetown, shattering a windshield of an oncoming car. One woman inside the car was taken to the hospital with multiple cuts to her face.
“It is a missile. It can be very sharp,” said Doug Butler with Georgetown EMS.
Butler said wind, freezing temperatures and car movement can cause ice to break free from the tops of cars and trucks, sending it airborne at high speeds.
“The actual movement of the vehicle will cause it to come free … and it can injure people very severely,” Butler said.
Paul Olson, who lives nearby, said he avoids driving after storms.
“If you have it on your roof and you brake, it’s going to slide forward and completely block your view,” Olson said. “You’re in the middle of traffic trying to scrape it off.”
Butler said clearing snow and ice from vehicles before driving is critical, noting that falling ice can cause crashes and serious injuries — even when vehicles are traveling in opposite directions.
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