Icy roads clear as temp rises

Slick roads cleared up across much of Indiana on Wednesday as temperatures rose after freezing rain made travel treacherous in many areas, including some places in Jackson and Jennings counties.

According to reports, Jackson County officers investigated at least four wrecks or slide-offs Wednesday that may have been caused by poor road conditions.

One of the wrecks involved a vehicle hitting a guardrail in the 7000 block of North U.S. 31 in the Seymour area, while a second involved a vehicle on its side in the 6000 block of West Indiana 58. No one was reported injured in the second wreck.

Jennings County police also received reports of 10 wrecks, most occurring on bridges. At least two of the wrecks, including one on U.S. 50 at the Jackson County line, involved personal injury.

State police closed a 30-mile stretch of Interstate 69 northeast of Indianapolis for about four hours early Wednesday before ice on the highway melted enough for it to reopen. At least four deaths were reported across the state from crashes on slick roads Tuesday.

The stretch of I-69 was closed between the Indianapolis suburb of Fishers and the Daleville exit near Anderson beginning about 2:30 a.m. Salt trucks were brought in to treat the highway.

According to the Brownstown Central High School weather station, 1.60 inches of rain fell in the area between 1:30 p.m. Tuesday and the same time Wednesday. That brought the monthly total to 4.85 inches and the year's total to 52.82 inches.

Temperatures in central and southern Indiana were expected to reach into the 40s on Wednesday, clearing away the ice that accumulated Tuesday.

The National Weather Service, however, also issued an advisory for northern Indiana about a significant flooding threat this weekend because of possible heavy rains Friday and Saturday and a rapid snow melt.

Tuesday's ice caused Evansville officials to suspend bus service for a few hours, and dozens of crashes in the Bloomington area prompted the closing of some roads.

A crash Tuesday in Boone County, northwest of Indianapolis, killed Lawrence Honan, 79, and Catherine Honan, 77, both of Indianapolis, when their car slid off a road and struck a tree, police said.

A two-car crash in southern Indiana's DuBois County killed Sarah J. McGregor, 30, of Huntingburg. McGregor was about 9 months pregnant and her fetus did not survive, Dubois County Deputy Coroner Bob Brown said.

An 18-year-old Winslow man also died when his pickup ran off a road in DuBois County. Alcohol may have been involved in the crash, police said.

The new troubles came as work continued in Fort Wayne to restore power from the ice storm that hit the city last week.

Indiana Michigan Power said about 8,500 homes and businesses remained without power Wednesday - about half as many as the night before. At the peak, some 109,000 customers in northeastern Indiana were without power.

The utility said most Fort Wayne customers should have their power restored by Wednesday night, although full restoration of power wasn't expected until Friday night.