At Ball State University, snowplow operators cleared roads and sidewalks on December 2 after 4.5 inches of snow fell the day before, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). That same day, Muncie Community Schools closed, after originally planning to open on a two-hour delay.
On November 29, NWS issued a winter storm warning as 4 inches of snow fell in Muncie. While the NWS reports 8 inches of snow in Howard County, near Kokomo, the map of estimated snowfall shows that between 8 and 12 inches fell in some northern cities.
The following day, a “chain-reaction crash” involving 45 vehicles occurred on Interstate 70 near Putnamville, southwest of Muncie, according to ABC7 Chicago.
“As you can see, there’s multiple accidents behind us,” Indiana State Police Public Relations Officer Matt Ames said. “The good news is we don’t have any major injuries reported right now.”
Ames called the crash, which he estimated as a “20 to 30 car pileup” at the time, “unnecessary.”
“People just need to drive smart when the snow starts falling,” Ames continued. “Reduce your speed, make sure you’re buckled up and let’s just all be safe out there.”
The Riley Fire Department said 12 people were transported from the scene.
As Ball State students returned to campus after Thanksgiving break, one student posted to YikYak expressing concern that the university was “staying quiet on the fact that thousands of students will have to drive on the horrible roads to get back to the dorms tomorrow.”
In the replies, two students shared photos showing damage to their cars.
“Yeah, I didn’t quite make it back,” one student shared with a photo showing front-end collision damage to their red sedan.
“Twin!” another student responded with a photo of their airbags.
The latest crash data from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute and the Indiana University Public Policy Institute shows 4,432 drivers statewide were in a crash in 2023 for driving “too fast for weather conditions.” The report shows 23 of those crashes were fatal, and 3,572 caused damage to property.
Crashes caused by snow in 2023 were the fourth most common type of weather-related collision in Indiana, accounting for 4,013 incidents. The most crashes, 139,528, happened in clear weather, with 32,072 in cloudy weather and 19,708 in rainy weather.
While Ball State did not respond to a request for comment, Ball State Housing and Residence Life (HRL) did send an email to dorm residents over winter break last academic year that, due to severe weather, the residence halls were opening a day early.
“While the University will do all it can to clear pathways, streets, and walkways during winter weather events, please remember that during for winter weather events where campus remains open and classes are held, you should remain aware of the weather conditions and exercise caution for your safety as you traverse campus,” HRL sent to students.
HRL advised students to visit the university website, subscribe to emergency text messaging, follow @ballstate_alert on X and check their Ball State emails for complete information in an emergency.
As finals week comes to a close and students head home for the holidays, following the weather after Thanksgiving break, some student drivers are concerned about getting home safely.
Jordan Yaney, public relations director for the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), encourages drivers to plan ahead.
“Through 511in.org or the TrafficWise app, which is INDOT’s free app, you can look at cameras on snowplows, and you can look at cameras on INDOT-maintained roads and see those actual, up-to-the-minute conditions,” Yaney said. “Then decide, ‘Okay, what am I going out for? Or, maybe can I wait for when the roads are a little bit more clear?’”
Yaney shares that INDOT only plows roads and highways maintained by the state, like McGalliard Road, which is State Road 332. All other roads are maintained by the City of Muncie.
The City of Muncie published a zoning map of city-operated snowplows, and its website says that the primary goal of the city’s snow removal efforts is “to maintain safe travel routes during the winter season for emergency response as well as to restore mobility for the traveling public within a reasonable time frame following winter storm conditions.” While the website states snow removal is done by the Street Department, the menus and contact information are for the Public Works Department.
INDOT uses a variety of forecasting tools to prepare for severe weather, according to Yaney. “We use the National Weather Service, we use local forecasts from news stations across our district and we have some internal tools we use as well. We actually monitor those about 14 to 10 days in advance of an event, so this is not something that ever catches us off guard.”
Yaney also shared how crews were sent out during the November storm. “We had a full callout, which means all of our available drivers were working 12-hour shifts, all of our plows were out, and when they were done, another full callout team came in, and they were replacing them in the trucks and going until those roads were completely clear.”
INDOT’s snowplows operate on routes and are sent out depending on the class of the road, according to Yaney.
“You head one way, you turn around, you go the other way and you keep making that loop, like a track,” Yaney said.
An INDOT website reminds drivers to keep their distance between snowplows, as the operator’s field of view is restricted. “You may see them, but they don't always see you. Keep your distance and watch out for sudden stops or turns,” the website reads.
Yaney says road classes are numbered one to three, with Class 1 roads having the most traffic and Class 3 roads having the least.
“With a Class 1 road, we’re thinking something like I-465 that sees hundreds, thousands of cars a day,” Yaney said. “We do our routes shorter in those areas so that we can complete them.”
“With a Class 3 road, maybe your more rural state highway, those are done about every three hours, so the route is a little bit longer,” Yaney continued. “But still, a plow is constantly going through and completes the full route every three hours.”
Yaney’s advice to the Ball State community is to allow extra time.
“If you’re heading home for the holidays and there’s snow in the forecast, snow on the ground, ice, any of those things, allow extra time to drive a little bit slower, to maybe slow down in certain parts and plan your route.”
