CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Forty-four property damage claims have been filed since a snowplow driver damaged cars and caused crashes in Erie County on Jan. 23, according to the Ohio Turnpike Commission. .

The claims are accompanied by new photos and documents that reveal the extent of the damage, injuries and trauma.

The commission said a snowplow truck driver cleared the left shoulder of the westbound lanes and threw snow and debris at the median wall and onto oncoming traffic in the westbound lanes. is, causing the accident of several drivers.

At least 12 people were injured, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

The injuries were not life threatening.

19 Investigators reviewed property damage claims on Thursday and found that several drivers had told the Ohio Turnpike Commission they feared the incident could turn fatal.

“I really thought my life was going to end on this day,” wrote a Brooklyn, NY driver in his claim to the state. “I lost all visibility and almost slipped into another car. You should be responsible for damage to my car and trauma.

Another Michigan driver said he called 9-1-1 “to ask that the snowplow be stopped before it kills someone.”

“We swerved to miss other cars and saw a truck go through the guardrail and into the ditch,” the Michigan driver wrote. “The impact of melting snow hitting the windshield was blinding and frightening.”

A Munroe Falls woman said the snow shattered her windshield, sending shards of glass into her eyes.

“I couldn’t see where to head and I knew the semi-finals were behind me,” she wrote in her statement.

The woman also said the broken windshield caused her vehicle’s rear view mirror to fly off and hit her in the face.

A Lakewood driver called the incident “the scariest and worst experience of my life”.

OSHP identified the plow driver as a 54-year-old man from Berea.

He was placed on administrative leave following the incident and sent for mandatory drug and alcohol testing, according to the commission.

The Erie County District Attorney is reviewing the incident and will decide whether charges will be brought.

“The Ohio Turnpike is one of the safest highways in the nation and is especially known for our ability to meet the demands of the most severe weather events,” said Ferzan Ahmed, executive director of the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission. , in a statement on Jan. 24. “This was an isolated incident involving a single operator and is not representative of our employees or our operations.”

The commission said anyone who suffered damage from the Jan. 23 plow incident can file a claim on the Ohio Turnpike website.

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