This vehicle is about to be towed out of a ditch just east of Marshall on Highway 240 late Thursday afternoon, Jan. 31. It was one of a dozen or more in the area involved in accidents during a period of heavy snow and the subsequent evening of slick roads. The sight of cars in ditches was somewhat common this week after two storms moved through. The first one Tuesday, Jan. 29, produced brief blizzard-like conditions. The second storm on Thursday produced heavier snow -- about 4 1/2 inhces -- but winds were less gusty. Although both storms contributed to numerous traffic accidents, as many as two dozen total, relatively few involved injuries. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge]

There were a dozen or more accidents in and around Saline County yesterday afternoon and evening, Thursday, Jan. 31, while 4.5 inches of snow accumulated, according to Saline County Sheriff's Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol and Marshall Police Department.

MSHP reported 10 accidents, three of which were "slide-offs." MPD reported two accidents on city streets.

A 4 p.m. accident in Johnson County involving three cars resulted in moderate injuries to Martha S. Fiene, 49, of Blackburn.

Fiene, who was northbound on Highway 13 in a 1996 Ford, was struck by Mehrdad Haghighat-Jou, 44, of Braymer, in a 1991 Dodge. After striking Fiene's car, Haghighat-Jou struck a third vehicle, a 2001 Chevrolet driven by Toni L. Runyon, 26, of Centerview.

Haghighat-Jou refused treatment at the scene for minor injuries; Fiene and Runyon were transported to Western Missouri Medical Center, Warrensburg, for treatment of moderate injuries.

Fiene's and Runyon's cars were totaled; Haghighat-Jou's car sustained extensive damage.

All were wearing safety devices at the time of the accident. An investigation is continuing.

At 4:20 p.m., officers were called to the scene of an accident on Missouri Highway 240, 0.6 miles west of County Road 136.

Janet E. Vesser, 51, of Gilliam, was moderately injured when her 2002 Mercury was struck from behind by a 2001 Dodge driven by Jayme A. England, 31, of Slater. Both vehicles were northbound on Highway 240.

Vesser had stopped due to an accident in the road ahead, according to troopers; she was taken to Fitzgibbon Hospital by Slater EMS for treatment.

The Saline County Courthouse makes a nice backdrop for the falling snow Thursday afternoon. (Eric Crump/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge]

Damage to both cars was moderate. Both drivers were wearing safety devices at the time of the accident. An investigation is continuing.

Elsewhere the storm hit even harder.

Heavy, wet snow made for treacherous roads and delayed commutes Friday as a huge winter storm that stretched from Texas to the Great Lakes blanketed Illinois and the rest of the nation's midsection Friday.

At least 5 inches of snow was reported at Chicago's Midway Airport by early Friday. More than 600 flights were canceled Thursday at O'Hare International Airport, where hundreds of stranded travelers spent the night awaiting planes from other cities also affected by the storm. Low visibility continued to be a problem.

Between 8 and 12 inches was forecast for the Chicago area and 6 to 8 inches was expected on the ground by noon in central Illinois. But the National Weather Service began canceling snow advisories in the state by midmorning as the storm headed for the Northeast.

Big rigs and compact cars alike crawled along Chicago area highways -- including Interstate 80 southwest of the city, where at least one semitrailer sat on its side in a ditch and numerous others stopped along the roadside.

"With what's going to be coming down at the rate it'll be coming down, all the roads are going to be snow packed and snow covered," National Weather Service meteorologist Paul Merzlock said.

The snow fell at the rate of an inch an hour at times Thursday evening, the National Weather Service at Lincoln reported. School districts across the state told students to stay home Friday.

In other states, the storm has been blamed for at least four deaths: three in Texas and one in Oklahoma.

The storm pounded areas of the Midwest still rebounding from storms earlier in the week that spawned a mix of snow, brutal cold, tornadoes and hail.

Information from The Associated Press was included in this story.

Contact Kathy Fairchild at marshallhealth@socket.net