(Lawrenceville, Ga., Dec. 16, 2010) - Gwinnett County public safety and transportation departments worked through Wednesday night and into early Thursday morning responding to a large number of accidents due to the icy roads caused by Wednesday's rain and ice event. A Winter Weather Advisory went into effect for most of north Georgia until 7 a.m. Thursday morning, bringing freezing temperatures and a mix of sleet and rain. According to police reports, light accumulations resulting in patchy ice on bridges and other elevated surfaces were the main threat. As a result, the County's 911 center received 2,314 emergency calls between 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday and 9 a.m. on Thursday.

During that time period, Fire and Emergency Services responded to 349 incidents, including 123 medical emergencies, 81 accidents with injuries, 96 accidents with possible injuries, 13 accidents with entrapments, eight fires and seven alarm calls. An additional ambulance was placed in service to respond to the increased call volume.

In addition, on-duty Gwinnett police officers worked well into the night, responding to 783 accident calls: 599 accidents, 69 accidents with injuries, 78 accidents with possible injuries, nine accidents with entrapments, one pedestrian accident with injuries and 27 hit and run accidents. To accommodate all the calls, evening watch officers were held over an additional hour and morning watch offers were called in to start one hour earlier than their normal shifts. The County's Emergency Management Office staff monitored the event and assisted responding agencies.

The County's transportation department received its first call at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday and continued to work calls after 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, responding to a total of 83 calls.

This incident comes on the heels of the recent tornado in Buford, where County emergency personnel responded quickly to secure the disaster area and provide aid to those affected.  

Residents are urged to avoid traveling on roadways in icy conditions. If residents must drive, they should check weather conditions before they leave and allow extra time to travel, slow down, watch for other motorists. Motorists should also carry a winter weather survival kit including: a blanket, sleeping bag, flashlight with extra batteries, portable radio, first-aid kit, non-perishable food items, bottled water, road flares, extra clothing, toilet paper, small bucket of sand, waterproof matches, windshield scraper and jumper cables.