50 accidents in two hours in icy road conditions

Feb 12 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

RAIN freezing soon after it hit roads sparked an early morning of disaster on Huddersfield’s roads.

Drivers across the areas were involved in a spate of minor accidents – including a seven vehicle pile-up on the M62 at Chain Bar.

In total there were 50 across West Yorkshire between 4am and 6am yesterday morning.

Highways chiefs admitted there had been serious problems and they arranged several full gritting operations throughout yesterday and last night to prevent further problems this morning.

Temperatures on the high ground above Huddersfield reached minus 7°C last night.

One young Longwood woman had a miraculous escape after she managed to pull her car to a stop on ice using her handbrake – just like in the movies.

Nikki Heffron, 21, had just set off from her home in Longwood at 7.50am yesterday to work as a bank cashier in Sheffield and then dropped down steep Cross Firs Street off Longwood Road.

Halfway down she realised she’d hit sheet black ice.

“I touched my brakes, but all I could sense was a crunch,” she said. “Nothing was happening so I pulled my handbrake on and the car came to a halt side on.”

Police were called to the scene to close the road to other traffic with Nikki’s Fiat Panda stuck across the road.

Pc Martin Gregory said: “It was amazing she managed to stop and even more amazing she didn’t hit any of the parked cars or wall.

“If she hadn’t managed to stop, she would have gone straight into Lowergate – and children walk along there on their way to Royds Hall School.