The Nebraska State Patrol says the blizzard conditions that left roadways covered with snow and ice on Monday resulted in several traffic accidents, including one that killed two men near Kimball.
The patrol says around 4:45 p.m. Monday a vehicle driven by 30 year old Frankie Back of Kimball lost control due to poor weather conditions while southbound on Highway 71 north of the Colorado border. The 2004 Chevy Trailblazer crossed the center line and struck a northbound semi. Back and his passenger, 33 year old Joshua Hack, both of Kimball, were pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the semi was not seriously injured. In addition to that accident, weather was to blame for many more accidents throughout the state. Two of them on Interstate 80 resulted in pile-ups of more than ten vehicles each. One of those accidents, near the Goehner exit, sent four people to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. The other accident, near the Greenwood exit, did not result in any significant injuries.
Overall, the Nebraska State Patrol responded to around 75 accidents during the storm and made 375 motorist assists. Many of those motorist assists were for drivers who had become stranded. Dozens of vehicles remain stranded around the state as conditions were too dangerous for tow trucks to operate on major highways for much of Monday.
(Photo: Nebraska State Patrol)