The post-Super Bowl commute Monday morning was a slippery one as law enforcement officers responded to more than a dozen spinouts in and around the Santa Clarita Valley.
Rain-soaked and, in many spots, flooded roadways created hazardous driving conditions Monday morning.
Despite the number of single-vehicle traffic collisions, however, there was no report of serious injury.
“The Monday morning commute gets a lot more volume of traffic compared to the weekend,” California Highway Patrol Officer Josh Greengard said.
“More cars on the roadway equals more potential for car crashes,” he said.
Shortly after 10:20 a.m. Monday, a gray Toyota spunout in the southbound lanes of Highway 14, just north of the Newhall Avenue off-ramp.
The car did not hit any other vehicle but ended up facing the wrong way
The heavy rain created flooding in areas such as Hasley Canyon Road, but also sent mud and debris onto some roadways.
At 10:20 a.m., the rain sent large rocks onto the southbound lanes of Soledad Canyon Road at Capra Road, just south of the tunnel.
A car southbound on Interstate 5 hit some debris, blew a tire and collided with another car near Pyramid Lake shortly after 10 a.m. Motorists reporting the crash described the car as damage on each side.
Another spinout in the Grapevine happened in the northbound lanes of I-5, just south of Vista Del Lago Road, where a white sedan spunout, blocking the lane next to the fast lane around 8:20 a.m.
Shortly after 10:35 a.m. on Highway 14, just south of Agua Dulce Canyon Road, a blue sedan spunout, overturned and went up an embankment on the right shoulder.
A large amount of mud was reported sliding onto the northbound lanes of Interstate 405, just south of I-5, shortly after 11 a.m.
By 11:30 a.m., rain water also had flooded the southbound lanes of Highway 14 at Sand Canyon Road. At least vehicles were reported by the CHP to have spunout at that spot.
“The weather has been very wet lately,” Greengard said.
“Commuters need to give themselves a few extra minutes to get to work in the morning along with giving themselves extra distance between the car in front of them,” he said.
“Many crashes result from driving too fast, so the first and foremost tip is to slow down. It is a matter of physics that your vehicle can’t stop as fast or turn as accurately on the wet or icy roadway.”
Greengard advised any motorist planning to travel through the Grapevine should check road conditions before venturing out.
“We are aware of the snow levels (Monday night). (The CHP) along with the other stakeholders are ready if the I-5 freeway needs to be shut down due to snow,” he said.
Deputy Ronald Sneed of the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station posted some tips for motorists driving in the rain.
• Slow down
• Allow extra time
• Leave extra distance between you and the car ahead
• Gently apply brakes to avoid skids
• Drive with headlights on
• Stay alert for vehicle’s hydroplaning.
• Apply brakes more slowly; they may pull.
California road information from California telephones
1-800-427-7623 (ROAD).
661-287-5527
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