DOVER, Del. - More snow falls on Delmarva making getting around challenging for drivers during Friday morning's commute.
Geoff Sundstrom with the Delaware Department of Transportation says this winter storm came with a vengeance.
"This storm hit at exactly the worst time for us and for motorists. Anytime you've got snow coming down, especially more snow than what was perhaps forecast, during rush hour, it makes it hard not only on our crews but on motorists as well," said Sundstrom.
Sundstrom says the storm caused scores of crashes and vehicles stuck in a ditch.
"Many times these crashes happen because people are simply not adjusting their driving habits," said Sundstrom.
Workers at the Kent County Emergency Communications Center in Dover say phones were ringing off the hook.
Kevin Sipple, Assistant Director for the ECC, says within about three hours, workers answered more than 60 calls for crashes due to the storm.
"This morning, our shift changes around 7:30 to 8. At that time an influx of calls were coming in. The night shift stayed over 20 to 30 minutes to assist for the incidents," said Sipple.
Delaware State Police say troopers responded to 44 crashes in Kent County. Four of those crashes resulted in personal injuries.
Troopers responded to five vehicle crashes in Sussex County. One person was injured.
A tractor trailer jack-knifed on SR16 in Milton around 10:15 a.m. due to slick roads. DSP say the crash caused traffic backups for nearly two hours while emergency workers removed the truck from a ditch.
Eleven-year old Tahirah Redding of Dover says her mother was almost hit by a vehicle.
"This lady, she just came right in front of us and my mom just went into a ditch. She had to try to get out and it was hard and it was just crazy. I was just praying and praying and I was like Lord please help me," said Redding.
"It was just a mess. Buses were late. It was a nightmare.It was just crazy this morning," said Courtney Vidrine.
Some drivers say schools should have been delayed or closed.
"It should have been a delay because of the hazardous driving conditions. The roads were messed up," said George Paul of Dover.
Some school officials tell WBOC, buses were on the roads well in advance of the storm.
In Delaware, school transportation supervisors are in charge of monitoring weather conditions in order to report conditions to school superintendents.
According to Bruce Ashby, Supervisor of Transportation for the Capital School District, snow began falling after 6 a.m.
"There was no word at that time that it was anything we had to worry about. Nobody could predict what happened," said Ashby.
Sundstrom says about six inches of snow fell in parts of Delaware. Hundreds of trucks were dispatched across the state to put more than 3,000 tons of salt on the roads.
