ICY ROADS CAUSE 1 DEATH IN REGION

Icy conditions made roads treacherous throughout the region Monday and Tuesday and contributed to one death.

By late Tuesday afternoon, a spokesperson with the Missouri Highway Patrol reported most area roads were in normal condition.

In Cape Girardeau, 31 vehicle accidents were reported to police between 8 a.m. Monday and 4 p.m. Tuesday.

"With the sun out, some roads were better than others, but some sections were still solid ice, resulting in a lot of accidents," said Cape Girardeau police spokesman Sgt. Carl Kinnison.

At around noon Tuesday, northbound Interstate 55 was closed following an accident involving two vehicles, including a tractor-trailer. Both northbound lanes remained closed for about an hour as the tractor-trailer was removed.

Two people suffered minor injuries in the accident.

Most accidents involved minor fender benders or vehicles losing control and sliding off roadways.

The northbound ramp onto I-55 from Route K was temporarily blocked Tuesday morning when two tractor-trailers slid partially off the roadway. The vehicles did not collide and were quickly removed.

Kinnison said most of the weather-related accidents occurred because the drivers were going too fast or weren't careful enough for the conditions.

In the lone reported area fatality, an 11-year-old Texas boy died when the car in which he was riding struck a tractor trailer on I-55 in New Madrid County, four miles South of Sikeston.

The Highway Patrol reported that Vincent Rowe, 37, of Beeville, Texas, was traveling north on I-55 just after 9 p.m. Monday when he lost control of his vehicle because of the icy roadway. The vehicle crossed the median and struck a southbound tractor trailer.

Rowe and an 8-year-old son both suffered serious injuries. His wife suffered moderate injuries while a 2-year-old son received minor injuries. All were taken to Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston.

Vincent Rowe Jr., 11, died in the crash.

The driver of the tractor trailer was not injured.

The area's first winter storm of the season provided a reminder to drivers of the dangerous condition that can occur.

"Certainly, in these conditions if you don't have to be out driving, stay at home. If you are out on the road remember that it is slick," Kinnison said.

Even though you may think your vehicle is equipped to handle the weather, caution is still needed.

"If even if you have a four wheel drive vehicle or studded snow tires, stopping distance is still greatly increased," Kinnison said.