Just another day at the office: KDOT crews save lives

KDOT Highway Maintenance Supervisor, Clyde Thrush helped save the day for one critically ill patient during the weekend snow storm. 

A major storm hit most of Kansas on Nov. 25, and the hard work of numerous KDOT employees across the state to clear the highways did not go unnoticed. Two examples of these efforts include employees from north central Kansas.

For Clyde Thrush, Highway Maintenance Supervisor in Minneapolis, snow removal and treating the roads for ice is just part of the job. But that day, it meant helping to get a critically ill patient the urgent medical care they needed. 

Jim Frye, KDOT Field Maintenance Manager, was contacted by Concordia Hospital and was told they had an emergency patient who needed to get to Salina Regional Hospital as quickly as possible. They asked for a snow plow to lead the way down U.S. 81. Frye contacted Thrush who happened to be at the junction of U.S. 81 and U.S. 24 at the time and was more than happy to assist. 

“We do what we can here at KDOT to help the public,” said Thrush.
According to a thank you note written by Brandon Bennett of Concordia Fire Department, he said the employee driving the snow plow (Clyde Thrush) went above and beyond the call of duty that day. 

“While en route, we got a call from dispatch that there was a snow plow truck trying to catch up to us to lay salt in our path,” Bennett said. “Mind you, Highway 81 this evening was a sheet of ice, and we were barely able to maintain 25 mph without our ambulance starting to slide. 

 “So eventually the snow plow caught up to us about 15 miles south of Concordia and we fell in behind him as he layed salt. This plow driver stayed in front of us all the way to Salina. Not only that, but he even got off the freeway and ensured our path was clear on the side streets up until we pulled into the hospital with our patient.”

Cody Deneault, Equipment Operator from Belleville, also helped people who were stuck in a snow drift. 

For Cody Deneault, Equipment Operator in Belleville, helping the public meant getting out to help a person whose vehicle was stuck in a snow drift. According to an email sent to KDOT, Deneault pulled over to assist the motorist dig underneath the car and then helped to push the car out of the snow drift. 

A special thanks to all the KDOT employees working around the clock to clear the highways during this blizzard.

Spring snow storm recap

KDOT crews across Western Kansas worked to clear the roads  during the snow storm that took place last weekend. This photo is from U.S. 83 south of Garden City. Photo courtesy of  Leland Hunsley

We’ve all heard the saying “April showers bring May flowers.” For the eastern half of the state, the month of April ended with plenty of rain but some Kansans were bombarded with several inches of snow over the weekend.

Western Kansas received several inches of snow  over the weekend. KDOT crews worked to clear the roads and keep Kansas moving. Courtesy photo. 

This rare mid-spring snow storm prompted road and highway closures across Western Kansas due to weather conditions, reduced visibility, and lodging concerns. Several communities lost power for periods of time during the storm.

Parts of Northwest Kansas received approximately 20 inches of snow. This photo shows
The process of clearing I-70 near Levant.  

 Some parts of Northwest Kansas received approximately 20 inches of snow, and the precipitation amounts in extreme Southwest Kansas were also more than a foot.

Lisa Knoll, the KDOT Public Affairs Manager from the District Office in Garden City, said KDOT crews faced high winds, power outages, downed power poles, and high snow drifts while clearing the roads. Loose livestock in Kearny County created additional problems.

“Livestock often end up loose due to downed fences or snow drifts high enough for the cows to cross,” Knoll said. “Approximately 40 cows got loose Saturday night and crossed U.S. 50 and wandered into Lakin. They spent Sunday afternoon wandering and then spent the night in a backyard before being corralled Monday afternoon.”

Due to high snow drifts, livestock in Kearney County were able to escape and visit Lakin for
several hours before being rounded up. Courtesy photo. 

Knoll also said that KDOT crews assisted stranded motorists while clearing the roadways.

In an article by the Wichita Eagle, Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Tod Hileman said that as of Sunday Evening, more than 30 motorists reported “slide-outs” in Northwest Kansas and there had been at least two non-injury crashes.

KDOT crews across Western Kansas worked to clear the roads  during the snow storm that took place last weekend. This photo is from U.S. 83 south of Garden City. Photo courtesy of  Leland Hunsley

While spring snow storms may not happen often, this weekend proved that weather conditions in Kansas can be unpredictable. Motorists need to be prepared for the unexpected and monitor road conditions before traveling long distances.

KDOT crews across Western Kansas worked to clear the roads  during the snow storm that took place last weekend. This photo is from U.S. 83 south of Garden City. Photo courtesy of  Leland Hunsley

You can be prepared by accessing www.kandrive.org or by calling 511 to stay up to date on Kansas road conditions that may be impacted by weather or construction delays. 

12 Snow plows were struck during last week's storm

At least 10 KDOT snow plows and two belonging to the Kansas Turnpike Authority were struck by traffic while plowing during last week’s snow storm. A couple of the trucks may not be repairable, making it more challenging for highway crews to respond to the next storm. Granted, it can be a bit frustrating traveling behind a slow moving plow, but impatience on a snowy highway puts everyone at risk. Check out the video below for our interviews with snow plow drivers that were hit.