APSU and Clarksville were greeted this morning with snow, ice and freezing temperatures, closing school and creating dangerous road conditions.
“The road conditions we are experiencing makes it much more difficult to respond to emergency situations. The fewer people we have on the roads equates to fewer accidents or stranded motorists. This is where the public can greatly help us,” Montgomery County Sheriff John Fuson said in a statement released Monday afternoon.
Fuson says that they have not been affected too drastically by these storms yet. This is largely due to many people being off work for President’s Day and schools being closed.
“Tomorrow morning will be a different story. We want to continue to discourage anyone from venturing out onto the roadways unless it is absolutely necessary. Keep in mind these roads are much more slippery than they appear,” Fuson said.
They will continue to post pictures of roadways throughout the county today and tomorrow.
If it is absolutely necessary that you get on the roads, Fuson encourages people to layer up and bring an extra blanket or two with in case they get stranded. He also recommends bringing a flashlight with fresh batteries and a cell phone (if you own one) fully charged.
If individuals do get stranded on the side of the road, tehy should turn on emergency flashers, stay in their car, and notify 911 of their location and vehicle description.
“Deputies will respond to you as they can,” Fuson said. “If you have someone else coming to assist you, we still ask that you notify 911 so we know you are ok when your vehicle is noticed by us or a third party.”
Finally, if you must get out in these conditions, Fuson urges people to be respectful of the other drivers on the roadway and patient with them as they travel down slippery roads.
“Impatient and erratic drivers cause the most direct and indirect harm to themselves and others,” Fuson said. “Everyone has somewhere they need to be. If we work together and use caution, we will get there safely.”