Monday was business as usual at Ohio State, despite snow, ice and poor road conditions.
The winter weather created a massive pile-up of more than 40 cars north of Franklin County in the afternoon, shutting down the southbound lanes of Interstate 71.
There were no injuries in the crash, said Wanda Mitchell, dispatcher at the Delaware post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. But numerous vehicles were blocking the roadways for hours, including several semi-trucks.
“There are so many, it’s going to take a while for us to catch up,” Mitchell said.
Meanwhile all classes and events on campus continued, regardless of the weather.
University staff typically see a storm coming and get road crews to start plowing in a timely manner, said Jim Lynch, director of OSU Media Relations.
The university allowed all drivers to use the campus parking garages after 4 p.m. yesterday so crews could remove snow from the parking lots.
“We’re unlike K-12 schools,” Lynch said. “We don’t often close because of inclement weather.”
Lynch said the university stays open because the OSU Medical Center must stay open.
The efforts from road crews around campus weren’t enough to stop Elizabeth Middy from having a minor car accident in the afternoon.
She and another driver collided in slick road conditions on Cannon Drive near Ohio Stadium. There were no injuries.
Middy was on campus to pick her mother up from work, who didn’t want to drive home in the snow and heavy traffic. Middy said it took her more than an hour to reach State Route 23 north and Interstate 270 from State Route 315 north, following the accident.
Total snow accumulation was expected to reach 6 to 9 inches by this morning.
