Blizzard Conditions Causes Wrecks West of Perry Grain

On March 25, 2024 Red Willow County Sheriff Kevin Darling and Deputy Wright responded to a call of a semi in the ditch west of Perry Grain. The eastbound semi went into a slide and spun around to face west and slid backwards into the north ditch. The rear of the trailer still extending into the highway. Visibility was virtually zero even with emergency lights and the wind and ice on the highway made it treacherous.
Wreckers from Wauneta and North Platte were tied up and couldn’t respond. I want to Thank McCook dispatchers for making a bunch of calls for me and to AKRS for sending us a 4x4 John Deere and staff to assist.
While work was ongoing to move the semi, conditions continued to deteriorate and visibility decreased.
An eastbound trash truck didn’t anticipate the slower traffic at the scene and tried to avoid a slower moving vehicle in front of him and lost control. That vehicle began to fishtail narrowly missing other vehicles and went off the south shoulder to face north with the front wheels still on the shoulder but the rear completely in the ditch. Deputy Wright who was parked off the south shoulder to the west of the scene with all emergency lights active. Quickly exported his unit to walk to the trash truck to check on his condition, now just east of my location on the north side. I was also out and crossing the road when an eastbound F150 struck Deputy Wrights unit. We went to get her out of the vehicle and moved her to my unit to keep her warm until the ambulance arrived. During that process an Expedition, also eastbound struck the F150 they were uninjured. Thanks to Western Rural Fire for joining us shortly after to help traffic control. Medics Metcalf and Slater that responded to transport the driver of the F150. Chief Harpham mobilized staff to close off traffic for a time as well as Hitchcock County to the west. Ultimately we were able to stop traffic long enough to get the original semi off the shoulder. The John Deere pulled the trash truck out of the ditch. The F150 was loaded up by Wagner Fords rollback. The damaged vehicles that were able to move limped to McCook. The semi was left safely in the ditch and we all cleared the scene.
It was by the grace of God that no one was seriously injured. I want to remind people when conditions are bad you’re taking risks for yourself and other traffic as well as the first responders and volunteers that respond to help.