Law enforcement and first responders say Thursday’s wintry weather will cause longer wait times

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Law enforcement and first responders said they are ready for anything, even when the roads are covered with snow and ice, but they also have to take it slow to make sure they get there alive, causing a longer response.

On an average snow day in Mid-Missouri, law enforcement and first responders said they see an increase in calls for service on Missouri roads.

"We see an increase in calls, that's between stranded motorists, crashes themselves," said Corporal Kyle Green, with the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Between the increase in calls and the bad driving conditions, troopers and Boone County deputies say people should expect longer wait times.

"We have to drive a reasonable speed to get to those locations which often takes considerably longer than normal," Green said.

"There's places in this county where we have to drive 25-30 miles to get to. In a really bad storm they could easily double or triple our response time," Captain Brian Leer with the Boone County Sheriff's Department said.

Because of increased calls, the patrol will usually have more troopers on major roads.

"Even with more troopers out there, the call volume far exceeds the number of troopers we have," Green said.

During the snowstorm on February 2nd, the patrol responded to 323 calls for service, including 205 stranded drivers.

Law enforcement and first responders said with longer wait times, people should be careful on the roads. 

"We actually tend to see higher-speed crashes and a higher volume of calls, when we see less snow on the ground," Leer said.

Leer said if people do find themselves stuck in the snow and unable to move their vehicle on a road, to buckle up inside their car, because they do see a lot of secondary accidents where people can get hit when they least expect it.