INDIANAPOLIS — A sudden freeze Friday morning after Thursday night rainshowers created icy road conditions across central Indiana, causing at least 48 crashes in Indianapolis alone and sending two people to the hospital after an IndyGo bus collision downtown.
IMPD reported the accidents occurred between midnight and 10 a.m. Friday, with the majority being property damage crashes.
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Crash Timeline:
- Midnight-6 a.m.: 13 accidents
- 6-7 a.m.: 4 accidents
- 7-8 a.m.: 12 accidents
- 8-9 a.m.: 8 accidents
- 9-10 a.m.: 15 accidents
Downtown Bus Crash
In Indianapolis, an IndyGo bus crashed into a building in the 800 block of North Capitol Avenue around 7:18 a.m. Friday after colliding with one occupied vehicle and two parked vehicles.
The crash caused damage to a nearby building and sent two people to the hospital with minor injuries, complaints of pain.
The bus driver and a passenger from one of the vehicles were both transported to an area hospital in stable condition, awake and breathing, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
A spokesperson for IndyGo said the crash is still under investigation but black ice surrounded the area.
Interstates
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office reported four to five crashes at West State Road 46 and Chaffin Chapel Road, forcing authorities to temporarily close the highway.
"This is all from slick road conditions. No major injuries," said Jeff Brown, Public Information Officer for the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. Traffic was later restored with deputies directing vehicles around the crash sites.
Dangerous Weather Conditions
The crashes come as winter weather returned to Central Indiana Friday with temperatures in the 20s and wind chills dropping into the single digits.
According to the WRTV Storm Team forecast, slick spots are expected throughout the day, especially on untreated roads and sidewalks.
The bitter cold conditions are expected to be short-lived, with temperatures climbing into the low 30s by Saturday morning and reaching the mid-40s by Saturday afternoon.
