PRESS RELEASES

Arizona Department of Public Safety's initial winter storm statistics and road closure report for Northern Arizona

Monday, December 07, 2009 -

Statistics for the first 10-hours of this storm from 6:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. in Northern Arizona

DPS District 1 Mohave County:

10 Motorists assisted
1 Non-injury collision

DPS District 2 Coconino County:

100 Slide offs
20 Non-injury collisions
10 Injury collisions
30 Motorists assisted

DPS District 3 Navajo and Apache Counties:

25 Slide offs
2 Non-injury collisions
2 Injury collisions
5 Motorists assisted

DPS District 11 Gila County:

12 Slide offs
3 Non-injury collisions
6 Motorists assisted
5 rock slides reported

DPS District 12 Yavapai County:

12 Slide offs
5 Non-injury collisions
3 Injury collisions
11 Motorists assisted
5 Rock slides reported

Total:

149 Slide offs
31 Non-injury collisions
15 Injury collisions
62 Motorists Assisted

The I -17 corridor north of Camp Verde was by far our busiest area. Due to collisions, some people have been sitting out there for hours in the back up.
The DPS Highway Patrol Divison's Northern Patrol Bureau was assisted by Detectives from our Criminal Investigation Division stationed in Northern Arizona in particular the Flagstaff area with the extremely high call volume during this storm.

Road Closure Update:

For current road and weather conditions please visit the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) Web site at www.az511.com. or call 511.

I-17 Northbound: North of Camp Verde: Currently closed to allow for plowing and clearing of stranded vehicles. Roadway is only able to stay open for moments at a time until it is closed by disabled vehicles which are becoming stuck on the steep incline. Namely Commercial Vehicle operators who have failed to chain up in time. Some snow-plows have been stuck in the traffic back-up on I-17 northbound as well, causing a delay in them making the return trips to Flagstaff.

THE FOLLOWING ARE ALL ARE HARD CLOSURES: NO VEHICLES ALLOWED PAST THE FOLLOWING CLOSURES REGARDLESS OF FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE OR CHAINS.

S.R. 260 West: Eastbound at the Camp Verde city limits at milepost 228.5.

S.R. 260 East: Eastbound, just east of Star Valley milepost 302.

S.R. 260 East: Westbound, at Forest Lakes milepost 302.

S.R. 87 Northbound: At the north Payson City Limits, all traffic being turned around at the Home Depot.

S.R. 87 Southbound: South of Winslow at milepost 339.

S.R. 180: Closed at Kendrick or milepost 236 for the night.

Snow fall increasing and is very heavy on the Rim north and east of Payson. Only DPS personnel are manning the closures. S.R. 87 north of Strawberry is completely clogged up with cars and snow.

-End-