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| Jessica Hines | The Appalachian |
| Physical Plant employees and
University Police pull cars apart after they slid together
due to the icy conditions in Stadium Lot Wednesday. |
by Tiffany King
Staff Writer
Several students returned to their cars parked in Stadium Lot Tuesday
afternoon to find that recent wintry precipitation created an ice
slide.
“Since the ice in the Stadium has started to melt and it has
been raining today, several parked cars in Stadium Lot have been
sliding out of their parking spaces and some of them have slid into
each other,” University Parking and Traffic Officer Jackie
L. Greene said.
“I am pretty sure that there are 12-15 cars that have slid
into each other because of the ice,” University Police Officer
Timmy G. Williams said.
Several students, including senior elementary education major Angelica
L. Hoover, were at the scene, trying to figure out what was going
to happen to their cars.
“This parking lot should have been taken care of weeks ago.
This is ridiculous. I got a phone call saying my car has slid into
another one. I don’t know what they are going to do because
our cars are so close I am afraid something will get damaged,”
Hoover said.
Kelly Renwick, whose car was hit by Hoover’s, was also waiting
Tuesday to learn the fate of her car.
“They tried to move my car and the side view mirrors touched.
The guy who was moving it said ‘don’t touch the vehicle
again; you’ll just have to wait.’ I was told by Chief
Doerr that someone would be sent over by the university to take
a report, but there is nothing definite, yet, as to what will happen,”
Renwick said.
Traffic officers and University Police officers worked all day in
Stadium Lot assisting students with the removal of their cars.
Traffic officers on the scene said they were in Stadium to help
students move their cars by telling them which way to go and which
direction to move their wheels.
Maj. Larry Foster of the University Police said the police were
doing the best they could in the situation.
“We are trying the best we can. Unfortunately, these things
happen. I don’t even think it could be prevented because it
is very hard to find a time when it would be safe to scrape, there
are so many people parked in Stadium,” Foster said.
“The grounds crew on campus has worked very diligently this
year to get snow and ice removed, but with the large amounts of
snow that we have had this year, it has been very hard,” Foster
said.
The Physical Plant had crewmembers in Stadium Lot armed with backhoes
and towing equipment scraping the ice and moving the cars.
Several students wanted a professional towing company to come move
their cars, but police officers such as Lt. William Cornett did
not feel that was a good idea.
“Several students wanted us to contact professional towing
companies. We felt that it would be better for us to do it ourselves,”
Cornett said.
“If a professional company towed them, they would just tow
them somewhere and charge them. This way we can pay careful attention
to damages and know exactly what happens with each situation. We
are just out here trying to help people out the best we can,”
Cornett said.
Most cars sustained only minor damage including a broken side view
mirror and a dented front bumper. All students were able to move
their cars after they were towed.
“If a car did have any damage, the student should definitely
file a report and the university attorneys and insurance companies
can handle it,” Foster said.
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