October 26, 2024

Snow plow operator who was recently rear-ended asks motorists to slow down during snow storms

Tanner Powers of Exira works out of the Adair Iowa DOT garage. He was operating a snow plow Jan. 25 during a snow storm when it was rear-ended on Interstate 80. He asks motorists to slow down or limit travel when travel is not advised. (Contributed)

ADAIR — The Iowa DOT sends six or seven snow plows onto Interstate 80 to keep the road clear during snow storms from its garage located in Adair, depending on truck or staff availability and the severity of conditions. These trucks are tasked with clearing the interstate of snow and ice between Stuart and Atlantic.

During the most recent snow storm Jan. 25, three snow plows were rear-ended in that region, two here in Adair County and one in Cass County. Tanner Powers of Exira was operating one of those snow plows.

“I was traveling westbound on I-80 in the left lane, plowing a lane and treating the road,” Powers said. “A lady approached from behind with too high of a rate of speed and crashed into the back of the truck. At that point, it damaged our truck.”

Powers said that damage was done to both vehicles. Both vehicles pulled over and the small car pulled around the snow plow so the snow plow could protect it from other traffic until the Iowa State Patrol could respond.

Powers estimated that in some areas at the height of that storm, visibility was down to less than an eighth of a mile, which resulted in very dangerous conditions for motorists to be traveling in. Powers says motorists need to be much more careful when traveling in such harsh conditions.

“The biggest thing is that when conditions are this bad and travel is not advised the people need to not travel unless it’s an emergency and slow down for the conditions,” Powers said. “There’s a left and a right lane truck and snow plows move a lot slower than the rest of the traffic does. When these conditions are that bad, the wind is blowing and it’s heavy snow, you just have to slow down, and the traffic just doesn’t slow down. Things are happening a lot quicker than you think they are.”

Powers has been with the Iowa DOT for over nine years. He said public service is something that he finds “very rewarding.”

“The DOT is a great place to work. You get to help the general public get where they need to go safely,” Powers said.