An Indianapolis driver is demanding accountability and improved safety training after an accident on an Indiana interstate has raised questions about state-operated snowplow protocol. The accident occurred on Monday morning on I-70, on the east side of Indianapolis where a snowplow driver was pushing a massive pile of snow and ice over the guard rail of the I-465 overpass, right above an Indianapolis driver. The snow and ice that had pushed by the snowplow fell off the overpass from a height of at least 16 feet, landing onto the windshield and hood of the driver’s vehicle. Photos were taken of the damage to the vehicle, which includes shattered glass, broken lights and two baseball-sized holes in the windshield. Damage to the vehicle was so substantial that the driver’s insurance adjuster has written the vehicle off as a total loss. The driver was trapped in her vehicle after shards of glass had rained down on her, leaving temporarily immobilized with fear. The driver was able to move her vehicle onto the interstate shoulder and called 911. The snowplow involved in this accident was driven by the Indiana Department of Transportation Driver (INDOT). A department spokesman has stated that they have no record of the incident but acknowledged it was possible it occurred and added that transportation officials were aware of “safety challenges” related to overpass plowing. Of the 18,900 bridges in Indiana, INDOT maintains more than 5,600 of them. INDOT drivers have been trained to slow down and use a “very Specific technique” when plowing overpasses, however, the data illustrating the efficacy of this technique on the Indiana Interstate overpasses has not been made immediately available. INDOT has stated that they have no plans of updating snowplow driver training, however, they have admitted that the combination of reducing speed and re-positioning the plow is not a perfect solution to cleaning up heavy snowfall.

When heavy snowfall occurs, people driving rely on the snowplowing services, whether privately owned or public, to make the roads safe and drivable. When the roads are not plowed in a safe manner, they may become more dangerous to a driver than if they had not been plowed at all. If you or someone you know has been seriously injured or killed due to the negligence or reckless actions of another individual while on the road, please contact the experienced legal team at Schiller Law Offices at 888-578-3100 or at IndyInjured.com to learn more about your potential right to compensation.

Source:
https://www.wishtv.com/news/local-news/indianapolis-driver-says-snow-plow-on-i-465-overpass-nearly-killed-her/1713591790