contributed graphic The emergency snow routes for Marshalltown are shown in blue.

Icy roads greeted Marshalltown residents on Thursday morning as people ventured out to take their children to school or go to work.

Marshalltown Police Department Captain Chris Jones said 15 vehicular accidents were reported. Twelve of those involved property damage and three included injuries.

The accidents happened after Jones arrived at the police department headquarters.

“I assume they were all weather related because the pavement was slick when I came at 5 a.m.,” Jones said.

This was the first freeze of the season for Marshalltown. Jones said it is not normal to have a high amount of accidents on the first freeze, but there is also usually accompanying snowfall.

The higher percentage of accidents normally occur after the second freeze.

“Drivers are more confident in their driving skills, so we get more accidents,” he said. “After that, they taper off.”

This week saw some snow fall on Marshalltown but the white flakes quickly melted. It prompted the city to remind residents of emergency snow route parking regulations.

“Anybody parked in emergency snow routes will have their vehicles towed,” Jones said. “The emergency snow routes gain us better access to the city streets and gives the community better access.”

The city of Marshalltown will declare a winter storm emergency if there is a forecast of two or more inches of snow. Jones said every year the city will also issue education for the public regarding emergency snow routes.

One important bit of information is that failure to remove a vehicle from an emergency snow route may result in a $25 fine, plus the owner of the vehicle will have to pay for towing.

“That depends on who is towing the vehicle,” Jones said. “We rotate the companies because we try to provide even service. The cost of towing will depend on the company and how much they charge to store the vehicle.”

If cars are parked on the designated snow routes without a looming forecast, Jones said drivers can expect to find flyers placed on windshields by law enforcement personnel.

“It is just to tell them that they need to find an alternative place to park if there is believed to be more than two inches of snow,” he said. “We encourage the public to plan for snow emergencies. Talk to your neighbors and family members, have a plan in advance. We need to clear the streets as early as possible. We do not want to move vehicles if we don’t have to.”

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Contact Lana Bradstream at

641-753-6611 or

lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.