Dozens Abandon Cars on Side of Road During Winter Storm
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CROCKETT COUNTY, Tenn. — Dangerous road conditions Sunday night into Monday left many stranded, while others were forced to leave their vehicles behind. The sheriff in Crockett County said his roads are littered with dozens of abandoned cars. Officers believe at least 100 drivers slid of the road from Sunday night to Monday afternoon and needed rescuing. “I was just thankful somebody could come get me out,” driver Cristy Emison said. Emison and her son were stuck until Crockett County deputies came to the rescue. “We made it coming out OK and then the roads were fine, but where the snow plows and scooted it off it just made lots of high drifts and we just couldn’t get back over the drift coming back in the drive,” Emison described. Others though, were not as lucky, and abandoned cars are abundant. Sheriff’s deputies said they were trying to get to drivers as quickly as they can. But sometimes they are too late. “Several vehicles we’ve approached and ended up no one was inside. They’ve just left them because they couldn’t go no further,” Crockett County Investigator, Jordan Spraggins, said. Since the winter weather started Sunday night, deputies have pushed and pulled as many drivers as possible out of the snow. But some will have to wait until the ice melts. “Well over 50 cars we’ve towed in the past 24 hours. We’ve had deputies working around the clock,” Spraggins said. Sheriff Troy Klyce adds those 50 cars do not count the ones tow companies have reached or the abandoned cars they have come across. Some residents agree snow is to look at, not drive in. “I hope it lets up. The kids are out of school so its kind of fun. But yeah I do hope it lets up for those who have to go a distance,” Emison said. “I hope we don’t have any more. It’s putting a lot of risk on people, but I imagine we’ll have a few more before the nights over with,” Spraggins said. The deputies planned to be out all night Monday helping stranded drivers. They say they came across at least two dozen stranded cars on Monday.
