GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — More than 1,800 emergency calls and nearly 600 car crashes were reported in Gwinnett County after snow and ice blanketed the area on Tuesday.
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Abandoned vehicles dotted roadways throughout the county Wednesday morning after drivers were forced to leave them during Tuesday night’s storm.
“There was a tow truck that blocked me in so I had no choice but to back my car up on the grass and I said I’m done,” said Lori Ford, who left her car on Camp Creek Road.
Bobby Keys spent Tuesday night helping stranded motorists before returning to retrieve his wife’s car.
“I pulled some people out but mostly I was getting them on the back of my four-wheeler and taking them home,” Keys said.
Gwinnett County police responded to 1,819 emergency calls and 572 crashes since Tuesday afternoon. Two officers suffered minor injuries while assisting people.
In Lawrenceville, multiple vehicles got stuck in the ice on New Hope Road, causing delays on Tuesday. Additionally, Papermill Road and parts of North Clayton Street were temporarily closed, according to Lawrenceville police.
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By Wednesday evening, Snellville police said road conditions were improving but many still posed safety risks. Oak Road, Mountain View, and Pinehurst Road remained the most problematic among several others, according to police.
Bobby Atwater, who helped drivers with his winch-equipped truck, offered winter driving advice: “If you’re going downhill on a curve just coast through it, don’t put your brakes on.”
As Lilburn police cleared abandoned vehicles on Wednesday, firefighters battled a house fire near Lester Road where a fireplace blaze spread to the attic, forcing a mother and teenage son to evacuate.
“It was horrific, definitely traumatizing,” said Safneeyah Ford. “Just a few minutes, we had sparked it up, it was lit for a few minutes.”
Firefighters contained the blaze by Wednesday afternoon and advised residents to have fireplaces inspected and cleaned before use during winter months.
The Ford family started a GoFundMe campaign.
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