Rain and wrecks have gone together like government agencies and evasiveness since a recent paving project was completed on Highway 84 East.
Volunteer firefighters have responded to more than two dozen crashes — most in a westbound stretch between Keahey Gore Road and Magnolia Road — since Jan. 1 when it rains. The single-vehicle crashes all appear to be caused by hydroplaning, drivers have told first-responders.
Several Mississippi Department of Transportation trucks were at the scene of one of the crashes on Friday, March 8. MDOT doesn’t typically respond to wrecks unless there is damage to a roadway, bridge or other structure. Nothing like that was evident at that crash scene.
The Leader-Call reached out to MDOT on Monday, March 11 to ask if there was a problem with the highway and if it was being investigated.
“We are looking into this issue and will let you know when we have more information,” an MDOT spokeswoman replied.
The reporter checked back Thursday, pointing out that rain was predicted for the weekend and he hoped to at least have a story to warn drivers about the potential for wrecks. The spokeswoman reported that she had “followed up” on the inquiry and “will let you know as soon as possible.” She sent tips for driving in severe weather. (https://drivesmart.mdot.ms.gov/severe-weather/)
Meanwhile, there were four more wrecks in the same stretch of roadway in less than four hours during the rain on Sunday.
When a road gets paved, motorists have a tendency to speed up, law enforcement officials have said. It’s not known if all of the crashes have been caused by motorists driving too fast for the conditions or if there is a problem with the road surface or construction. As of Monday, MDOT officials still had not responded.
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