KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Slick roads and car crashes snarled the Monday morning commute for drivers on both sides of the state line.
Rain and standing water from Sunday froze overnight, creating the dangerous conditions.
From surface streets to highways, more than 20 cars slid off roads and into curbs, medians and embankments.
On one stretch of I-435 between State Line and Quivira, authorities responded to at least five crashes, which impacted both east and westbound traffic.
Nearly every one of those crashes involved a pickup truck. In Kansas City, police responded to a crash where Ward Parkway intersects with Shawnee Mission Parkway at about 3:30 in the morning. The car crashed into the railing of a bridge.
A different driver lost control of his SUV after sliding on ice at Rockhill Road. He ran into the curb and blew two tires. The man behind the wheel said the driver who picked him up after the crash also fishtailed in the same area near Meyer Boulevard.
Crews from Kansas City and Overland Park said they worked overnight treating roads, particularly focusing on bridges, which freeze first.
Experts ask drivers to plan ahead, drive slowly and leave plenty of room between your car and the car ahead of you.
Roads should thaw later, as temperatures are expected to rise above freezing by midmorning, and the middle to upper 40s by the afternoon.
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41 Action News will continue to monitor road conditions throughout the morning. For the latest information, visit our traffic page.
