GILROY
– Slick roadways caused more than 30 accidents on local roads
and highways Saturday and Sunday, but none resulted in major
injuries or road closures, according to local law enforcement
agencies.
Nearly an inch of rain fell on Gilroy over the weekend causing a rash of vehicle accidents
GILROY – Slick roadways caused more than 30 accidents on local roads and highways Saturday and Sunday, but none resulted in major injuries or road closures, according to local law enforcement agencies.
The bulk of the crashes occurred Saturday, when large amounts of rain flooded area streets.
Nearly an inch of rain fell on Gilroy over the weekend, and the forecast for the upcoming week calls for more rain, wind and cooler temperatures in Gilroy, according to the National Weather Service.
Scattered showers are predicted to hit Gilroy each day until Friday, bringing an additional .3 to .4 inches of moisture, said Matt Gowdy, a meteorologist for the NWS in Monterey.
“By Friday the rain should finally be gone,” he said.
But while the soggy weather lasts, slippery driving conditions similar to Saturday’s will likely prevail, and motorists should be extra cautious when driving, said Terry Mayes, spokesperson for the California Highway Patrol.
“People need to use their common sense and keep a lot more space between their vehicle and the person in front of them,” she said. “And you need to be extra careful in area’s like northbound 101 near Cochrane where you know there is going to be a bottleneck.”
Mayes also warned of potholes that fill up with water and highway off- or on-ramps with curves.
“You cannot panic and hit your breaks on curves in the rain,” Mayes said. “Every time you hit the brakes the car goes straight through the curve and you will end up where you don’t want to be.”
