Area police departments report few accidents Thursday morning

Despite the wintry mix that coated streets with a thin layer of ice and closed school districts across the area, many law enforcement agencies reported a relatively low number of traffic accidents.

Lisa Miller of the Jackson Police Department said as of 6 a.m. Thursday the department hasn't received many calls.

"There's only been a couple this morning and last night there were not very many," she said.

She credits people with driving carefully and slowly for the low number of accidents.

Bollinger County Sheriff Leo McElrath said there haven't been many accidents in his area, either. He said there have only been five accident reports filed since Wednesday. He said his department has helped numerous drivers get out of ditches, however.

Like Miller, he credits the public with using common sense and staying home if they could.

Sgt. Jason Selzer with the Cape Girardeau Police Department said since 6 p.m. Wednesday until midmorning Thursday, the department had responded to 14 accidents. While he can't say the weather caused all of the accidents, 14 accidents in 16 or so hours is higher than normal.

Perry County and Scott County reported more accidents than Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties.

Jennifer Cook of the Scott County Sheriff's Department said there have been 15 accidents reported since the weather system came through Wednesday evening.

The Perry County Sheriff's Department said it didn't have time to count all of the accidents officers have responded to.

The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department referred to the Missouri State Highway Patrol for its accident totals. The patrol lists one accident in Cape Girardeau County since Wednesday. That accident occurred around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday five miles south of Delta when a 2003 Ford driven by Jackie M. Frazier, 50, of Gibson, Mo., ran off the left side of the road, struck a utility pole and overturned on Highway 25. Joseph A. Long, 35, of Campbell, Mo., a passenger, was ejected with serious injuries. Frazier and another passenger, Willie E. Sipes, 53, of Gibson, received moderate injuries. All three were taken by ambulance to Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau.

cbartholomew@semissourian.com

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