DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Department of Transportation and Iowa State Patrol have worked tirelessly throughout the winter storm that hit Iowa beginning Monday afternoon.
Between Monday morning and 4 p.m. Tuesday, the Iowa State Patrol reports they've covered 171 crashes, 18 of those resulting in personal injury, and assisting over 480 drivers.
"The snow and the wind intensity right now is not helping us gain any ground," said Iowa DOT highway maintenance supervisor Moe Mohamed.
Mohamed said he and other DOT crew members have worked lots of hours during this winter storm to try and keep the roads as clear as possible.
Most of the snow has receded by Tuesday night, but the wind has continued to push snow everywhere, including on Interstates 80 and 35, creating "white out conditions," where visibility is near impossible.
"We've had multiple patrol cars that have been struck, DOT plows that have been struck," said Sgt. Alex Dinkla with Iowa State Patrol. "I think we're currently doing six different semi crashes."
With more winter weather soon to come, once this current storm has passed through central Iowa, the DOT and state patrol want to share a message to help make their, and your lives easier.
"Your best place is behind a snow plow truck, not in front, is kind of our motto here at the Iowa DOT," Mohamed said. "We're trying to clear the path for you."
Sgt. Dinkla added: "We need to have patience. We're all going to be able to get somewhere eventually. But if we can halt our driving for one day, or just a few hours, it can be a matter of a difference."
The Des Moines Police Department have also assisted throughout the storm, and reported they've issued over 300 parking citations for snow ordinance violations along designated snow routes.