Storm Stats: 11 Non-Injury Crashes, 1 Plow Fire, 3 Disabled Vehicles

Editor's note: This story was updated at 3:30 p.m. Friday.

Kent Service Director Gene Roberts has issued a snow emergency parking ban in effect on all city streets until further notice.

Roberts said the ban is necessary to provide  road crews full acccess to all city streets in order to clear snow and ice. Roberts said the media would be notified when the parking ban is lifted.

Meanwhile, the Kent Police and Fire Departments have been busy dealing with weather-related issues.

No injuries resulted from the 11 traffic accidents that have occurred since about 10 p.m. Thursday night, according to . A Streetsboro company's snowplow may be a total loss, though, after a noontime engine fire on S.R. 261.

The responded just after 11:30 a.m. Friday to the report of a dumptruck/plow's engine on fire in the westbound lane of S.R. 261, just west of S.R. 43.

Kent Fire Lt. David Moore said the truck’s passenger and engine compartments are a total loss, but that the driver sustained no injuries. Firefighters had the fully involved blaze out in under 10 minutes and were on the scene for about a half hour. Both westbound lanes of S.R. 261 were closed for about 20 minutes.

Kent Police Lt. Paul Canfield said officers have responded to reports of 11 non-injury accidents since 10 p.m. Thursday. About six of those crashes have occurred since 7:30 a.m. today; several were been single-vehicle accidents involving utility poles.

Police also have assisted the drivers of three weather-related disabled vehicles.

Moore said Kent Fire also responded to a 9 a.m. single-car accident on Seasons Road, near Cackler, in Franklin Township. The driver had a slight injury that did not require transport. The accident, handled by the Ohio Highway Patrol, involved a vehicle sliding off the road into a tree.

Overnight service department crews that reported to work after 1 a.m. watched as rain turned to snow, and periodic high winds and dropping temperatures left a thin layer of ice on roadways. Snow has continued throughout the day, keeping road crews busy.

During a snow emergency, Roberts said, parking on all city streets is banned to provide for snow and ice removal. A snow emergency exists during any 24-hour period when two or more inches of snow accumulates.

The police department's new website also provides information about parking bans and other emergencies on its home page.

Roberts issued a reminder to all residents and businesses to clear public sidewalks abutting their properties of snow and ice for the safety of pedestrians.