Shelton roads were clogged with stuck vehicles and minor fender benders thanks to ice-covered roads.
“The town is a sheet of ice,” said an emergency dispatcher Wednesday morning, sounding frustrated.
Among the trouble spots in Shelton between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. Wednesday:
- Crash at New Street and Howe Avenue
- School bus stuck on Hill Street
- Crash near the intersection of Wakelee Avenue Ext. and Maltby Street
- A Mill Street man fell on ice outside his residence, suffering a head injury. Medics were calling for a rescue basket to assist the patient, due to extreme ice on the person’s driveway.
- Shelton bus stuck on Millbrook Road
- Crash, Wabuda Place. Road was a sheet of ice. Medic requested sand/salt truck
- Bus stuck on Grove Street
The weather Wednesday caused 90 minute delays at all schools in the lower Valley, from Ansonia to Shelton.
That came on the heels of school closures Tuesday — also a nasty day, weather-wise.
First it was snow, less than an inch by 5 a.m. Tuesday. Then it was ice, with a glistening coat over the snow that already fell.
Then it was rain — hours of it.
The winter weather caused a number of spin outs and accidents, including one in Shelton, where a tractor trailer got stuck on Hill Street.
It was enough to make a public works employee pull his or her hair out.
“Tell them to pray for no more snow and ice,” Derby DPW director Ron Culmo said in an e‑mail.
In Oxford, the slushy storm slowed down but did not stop town business. Public works crews were busy all day clearning the 120 miles of road, while private contractors took care of the school properties and the senior living complexes.
“Our crew have their work cut out for them. They will be out in the evening rush hour too,” said First Selectwoman Mary Ann Drayton-Rogers.
A town meeting at 8 p.m. Tuesday in Oxford was held as scheduled.
The morning commute Tuesday was much worse than the evening commute.
A rollover accident was reported at 5:57 a.m. in the area of 464 River Road in Shelton near Cumberland Farms.
Another accident was reported on Route 8 south near Seymour Avenue in Derby at about 6:30 a.m.
Yet another crash during the morning commute was reported at 7:50 a.m. on Route 8 north in Shelton, near Constitution Boulevard South.
A one-car spin out was reported on Route 8 north near exit 21 at about 8:15 a.m.
And a car was destroyed by fire on Route 8 north just off Westfield Avenue.
(See photo gallery. Car fire photo courtesy of First Due Fire)
