Police, Fire responded to incidents such as downed utility lines, traffic outages
Henrico County’s Police and Fire divisions together responded to more than 500 calls for service from midnight to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday as a winter storm delivered sleet and icy rain across central Virginia. The calls reported incidents such as multiple downed utility lines and instances of traffic light outages.
Police officers were dispatched to 110 traffic crashes and 243 utility problems. With power outages across the region, Police officials are reminding motorists that an intersection without a functioning traffic signal is to be treated as a four-way stop. Traffic lights that are flashing red should be treated as a stop sign. Traffic lights flashing yellow mean drivers should proceed through the intersection with caution.
Firefighters responded to four trees that had fallen into houses and 96 electrical hazards by 2:30 p.m.
“We can’t overstate that you should never approach a downed line,” Fire Chief Jackson Baynard said. “It’s best to always assume downed wires are hot wires. Call 911 or call Dominion Power (1-866-DOM-HELP or 1-866-366-4357) so the hazard can be addressed safely.”
No significant weather-related injuries were reported, Baynard said.
Credit Henrico County
