Hundreds of crashes reported to GA law enforcement; many metro Atlanta commuters still on the road at mid-evening

ATLANTA (AP) -- Law enforcement agencies throughout Georgia responded to hundreds of crashes in north Georgia Tuesday and Tuesday night as snow fell throughout the region - and many metro Atlanta commuters spent hours struggling through commutes that would typically take minutes.

Social media Tuesday evening was full of posts from motorists stuck in traffic and from their loved ones who were at home anxiously awaiting their arrival. Some motorists were simply abandoning their vehicles.

Stories of 5-, 6-, and 7-hour commutes were common from people who had made it home and who usually get home within an hour.

Georgia State Patrol spokesman Gordy Wright says troopers have responded to more than 500 crashes throughout the state since late Tuesday morning. Wright says 65 injuries and no fatalities have been reported. Crashes appear to have been concentrated in northwest Georgia, west Georgia and the metro Atlanta area.

Atlanta police spokesman John Chafee says officers have responded to more than 285 crashes since 1:30 p.m., when snow began coating the city. Chafee says many crashes were likely weather related, but authorities are unsure of exactly how many can be linked to snow and icy conditions.

(AccessNorthGa.com's Ken Stanford contributed to this story.)

http://accesswdun.com/article/2014/1/270491