Along with this winter weather were some weather-related accidents. On Friday there was a collision on I-35N, close to the Highway 30 exit. Witnesses report that two semi tractor-trailers and a car were involved in the crash. While the incident is still under investigation, no serious injuries were reported.

Officials also report that two ambulance crewmembers were taken to the hospital after their vehicle crashed on Sunday in northern Iowa. The EMS members dropped patients off at a nearby hospital before they hit a slick spot on Highway 9 and slid into a ditch. Reports say that the vehicle rolled through a barbed-wire fence before landing upright in a field. No citations were filed in the accident.

When you hit the roads this winter remember to be alert, drive slowly and above all, stay safe.

On Wednesday, a Canadian Pacific freight train was heading southeast near Dubuque when it derailed around 11:30 a.m. Eleven cars left the track, ten of which were carrying ethanol. Of those ten cars, three caught fire and three plunged into the Mississippi.

Officials confirm that the cars involved were DOT-111s, outdated cars that make of about 70 percent of the U.S. tank car fleet. These cars have been blamed for spills and derailments across North America. The most deadly crash occurred in Quebec in mid-2013, when a runaway train exploded and killed 47 people.

While no one was injured in Wednesday’s crash, authorities warn of the danger of transporting flammable liquids in these outdated cars and are hoping to phase them out over the course of several years.

We recently talked about the dangers of train crossing accidents encourage our clients and their loved ones to be hyper vigilant when around train tracks. In the case of an accident, don’t hesitate to call us.