Cecil Police: Weather Likely Reason for Crash

said slick roads from Tuesday’s snow showers was likely a factor in a one-vehicle crash on state Route 980 that evening.

Gilbert Hoffmann Jr. of 1941 state Route 980, told police he was traveling north on the roadway when he lost control of his vehicle, and slid off the road, crashing into a tree trunk around 7:15 p.m.

He was uninjured in the crash, police said.

It was one of a myriad of crashes that kept 911 dispatchers busy Tuesday after the area was blanketed in the white stuff—causing massive traffic backups throughout the day.

to steer clear of Interstate 79, after a tractor-trailer accident snarled traffic in the northbound lanes, while other accidents caused backups on the south side of the roadway.

All that because of a day of lake-effect snow.

National Weather Service Meteorologist John Darnley said not only was there a “burst of dense snow” during the morning commute, but that a “a band of precipitation aligned right over (Interstate 79)” around rush hour.

So how much snow fell yesterday afternoon? He said about 2 to 4 inches in the Northern Washington County area—with nearby Bridgeville having seen much, much more.

That community, he said, had received 8 inches of snow by 7 p.m.

But no weather worries today: The National Weather Service indicates that the area will get a brief respite from snow—with showers next expected on Saturday.