CLEVELAND — Since the first snowfall in November, there have been 16 accidents involving Ohio Department of Transportation snowplow trucks.
Frank Hudak has been an ODOT plow driver for 23 years.
He described the last couple of months as “not that bad.”
“Couple of storms. That’s about it,” Hudak added.
Hudak did have a first in his career this winter season, though. Another driver struck his plow while he was driving northbound on I-77 near Rockside Road.
“I was just plowing back some ice and slush on the high-speed lane. It was coming over the yellow line. I was doing about 15 [miles per hour] so I don’t throw the snow over the wall and into the other lane. Out of the blue, I got hit,” Hudak said.
In footage provided by ODOT, you see two cars behind Hudak in the fast lane. The first vehicle moves over into the right lane, and the second keeps driving forward.
The driver then slams into the back of Hudak and catches a couple of feet of air from the bounce back. The video shows the vehicle spinning out into the second lane afterward.
“It was fairly small thud and I just felt a little shove,” Hudak recalled.
The driver fled the scene of the accident, according to ODOT.
“They caught him down by 82. He admitted to hitting the plow truck and was under the influence,” Ohio Department of Transportation District 12 Public Information Officer Brent Kovacs said.
Hudak didn’t sustain any injuries but said the salt spinner on the back of his truck was destroyed.
“They need to move over, back off, move over,” Hudak said.
However, the law of “move over” isn’t followed by everyone.
According to ODOT, 16 drivers have caused accidents involving its snow plows this winter season.
“There [were] only 22 last winter, so we're going to eclipse that number unfortunately,” Kovacs said.
Out of those 16 accidents, four were located in Cuyahoga County.
“Cuyahoga County is definitely leading the state in plow strikes,” Kovacs added.
One of the most recent accidents happened in Lake County Monday afternoon when another vehicle struck a snowplow on I-90.
The roadway was shut down for about two hours.
The driver of the other vehicle involved in the collision has reportedly passed away.
“A lot of times motorists don't realize how big these trucks really are. They're carrying about 10 tons of salt. The plow blade on the front is 12 feet wide. They're all made out of steel and stainless steel. If you hit one, you're going to lose every time,” Kovacs explained.
I rode along with Hudak Tuesday afternoon in a snowplow to get a feel for what it’s like.
Within the first 10 minutes of the drive, another vehicle refused to let him merge into the far-right lane, coming off an on-ramp on I-77.
“Like this guy. He had all the time to move over. This is what we’re talking about. Little things like that. And if you want to get in the other lane, forget it. They will not let you over half the time,” Hudak said. “In a major storm, that’s where they can get wiped out and start spinning. I’ve seen it a lot. This [plow] won’t stop on a dime at all.”
When these accidents happen, ODOT must report it to state patrol, and if the driver is cited, either insurance will cover it, or the driver will have to pay for the damages out of pocket.
“We're definitely looking between 100 and 125 [snowplows]. It really depends which ones are in the shop for repairs. Every day those plow trucks are making 12 hour shifts back and forth. When you take one of those trucks off the road, we're providing less of a service for the motoring public,” Kovacs said.
Kovacs recommends anyone driving near a snowplow give that driver three to four car lengths worth of space, don’t pass the plow unless it’s safe to do so, and have patience.
“Beware of the snow cloud. When we get a lot of snow, the plow may be angled to the right, but there's a big cloud of snow that comes off the left-hand side. Motorists know that if they've tried to pass the plow before, it kind of gets a little dicey. Make sure your wipers are going a little faster than they would be if you were not behind the plow. Make sure your headlights are on,” Kovacs shared.
Hudak said the most important rule of thumb when driving near a snowplow is to “just get out of the way.”
