IDAHO — ITD snow plow driver Greg Strickland was one of nine drivers hit this winter season.
- The most fragile parts of snow plows are on the rear
- Salt-distributing spinners cost over $5,000
- A brand-new snow plow costs $357,000
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
Warmer winter weather means a well-deserved break for snow plow drivers at ITD who spent weeks working 12-hour shifts around the clock to keep state highways clear of snow and ice.
While the snow is now gone, the storm left its mark with nine snow plows taken, at least temporarily, out of service by being struck by other drivers.
"You just pray it never happens. Literally, you never know," said ITD snow plow driver Greg Strickland.
"We got to the Blacks Creek westbound rest area, just in front of it, and there had been another accident about a mile down the road. The road was blocked, everyone was trying to get into the same lane, and in the process, the semi honked his horn. I looked in the mirror and saw the trailer come around and it hit the back of the truck. He pushed me about another 80 feet down the road," Strickland continued.
Greg was fine and his rig got off relatively lucky with this encounter.
Some scraped paint, a gouge on the side, and some broken taillights that needed replacing.
The semi wasn't as lucky.
"There's a frame rail underneath the truck and it was snapped in half from where he hit up here. His truck was fully loaded and ISP took him out of service," Greg explained.
The most fragile, and expensive, parts of the snow-clearing equipment are on the back of the plow, making them the most susceptible to being rear-ended like this video from last season.
That spinner distributes salt onto the roadways and comes to the tune of more than $5,000. A brand new snow plow rig sits right around $357,000.
The back of the snow plows are covered in lights, something ITD feels can't be missed. But in the pursuit of safety, the department is testing an extra green light on plows in north Idaho.
Even in the face of extreme weather conditions and the risk of being hit in the plow, Greg has loved his job and is retiring after 27 years with ITD.
"It's fun. We do this for three months, we pull the trucks apart, turn them into dump trucks, then we start doing our summer stuff. There's a variety," concluded Strickland.
