104 Ice-Related 911 Calls in Less Than Nine Hours Here

Fayette County first responders had their busiest day of the year so far on Sunday as snow and ice blanketed area roadways.

Chief Deputy Randy Noviskie of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office said the county’s 911 dispatch center answered 104 calls for service between 1 and 9:30 p.m. on Sunday. That number only included 911 calls. Noviskie said dispatchers answered many additional calls that were made to the Sheriff’s Office business line.

“The majority were minor accidents,” Noviskie said. “A lot of them were vehicles sliding off the road in the ice. They got stuck in a ditch and just needed a wrecker to get them out.”

Noviskie said the worst accident took place on US 77 near Rabbs Prairie Road involving a truck-tractor pulling an oilfield tanker.

Trooper Josh Berger with the Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the crash and said it happened around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. Berger said the rig was heading southbound on US 77 when it hit a patch of ice and slid off the right side of the road.

The rig traveled down an embankment and crashed into a thick stand of pine trees. The impact pinned the driver inside the cab. La Grange Volunteer Fire Department responded and freed the driver from the wreckage. Berger said the driver suffered injuries to his legs. Fayette County EMS transported him to St. Mark’s Hospital in La Grange for medical treatment.

The location of the accident was at a dangerous curve near the Rabbs Creek bridge. After rescuing the driver, first responders decided to wait until the next day to clear the wreckage from the woods.

Fayette County EMS Director Josh Vandever said none of the traffic accidents on Sunday involved life-threatening injuries.

“The wreckers had a busy day,” Noviskie said.

Area wrecker companies stayed so busy on Sunday that motorists waited hours for a tow truck to arrive in many cases. A few of the crashes were rollovers and some involved more serious vehicle damage.

Noviskie said most of the wrecks were relatively minor and motorists were able to drive away once pulled back onto the road.

“There were even some (private) citizens helping out,” Noviskie said. “People with big pickups, 4x4s, they were out there pulling people out.”

Most of the crashes occurred on State Highway 71, particularly in the area between La Grange and Ellinger, Noviskie said. Vandever said a person involved in one of the Ellinger wrecks suffered a possible broken ankle.

There were also a few crashes on US 290 in the northern part of the County. Ledbetter Volunteer Fire Department responded to an 18-wheeler that rolled onto its side on US 290 at the intersection of FM 1291. The driver was not injured.

Noviskie said Sheriff Keith Korenek placed many deputies on call ahead of the weekend in preparation for the icy weather. Early weather reports indicated that Fayette County might escape much of the ice and snow. As the weather began changing Sunday morning, however, the Sheriff called in about a dozen extra deputies to help respond to the influx of emergency calls.

Noviskie particularly commended the County’s 911 dispatchers for their work on Sunday. Most Sundays, he said, dispatchers usually answer just a few calls concerning loose livestock or a broke-down motorist.

“I’d like to pat our dispatchers on the back, because the stress level of that day was phenomenal,” he said. “The night shift came in early to help out. They all did a great job.”

Noviskie also credited Texas Department of Transportation workers who de-iced roadways and bridges on Sunday

“Emergency services, wrecker services, TxDOT – everyone worked together, even the civilians who were helping pull people out of the ditch,” Noviskie said.