Wintry mix wreaks havoc on roads as cleanup continues in McAlester

MCALESTER, Okla. — Wintry weather is still causing a lot of headaches for drivers in Southeastern Oklahoma.

Fox23 News arrived on the scene of a semi- tractor trailer flipped on its side along Highway 69 in McAlester Tuesday afternoon.

McAlester Police Chief Kevin Hearod said officers spoke with the driver who told them he hit a patch of ice, ending up on the shoulder of the road, which was covered in ice. He lost control and ended up flipping the semi on its side.

A tow truck operator who assisted a fellow tow truck operator with Miller Fleet Service shared video of a second utility truck getting towed out of the median along Hwy 69 after striking the cable barrier on Monday.

“It destroyed it from front to back, ripped the axle completely out from under the trailer,” said Chris Weiher, the owner of Weiher Towing.

While the driver was not injured, it served as a painful reminder of just how quickly road conditions can change.

“Even on the roads that are opening up and they look like they’re wet, there’s still slick spots,” said Kevin Enloe, the Emergency Management Director for Pittsburg County.

Tuesday afternoon, Enloe said they’re prepared for the worst, but hoping for the best.

“My personal opinion is if we have an ice storm warning, depending on the severity of it, we could see some power outages.”

Enloe said PSO has staged crews at the Southeast Expo Center in McAlester just in case Mother Nature decides to take a turn for the worse:

“Mother Nature’s been playing a nasty game with us the last couple of days,” he noted.

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