6 Dead in Oklahoma Crash as Winter Storm Hera Leaves Swath of Snow

January 9,2016
As Winter Storm Hera blows towards the Midwest, snow and slick travel conditions are anticipated in parts of the Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes over the weekend. At least 6 people have been killed due to poor road conditions produced by Hera.

Winter storm warnings have been issued by the National Weather Service in a swath of western and northern Michigan, while winter weather advisories extend southward into the Lower Ohio Valley.

(MORE: Winter Storm Hera Forecast)

Here are the latest state-by-state impacts.

Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported that six people died in a fatal accident in northeast Oklahoma Saturday. The driver of a minivan lost control on a wet road near Chouteau and crossed the median into oncoming traffic, reports the Associated Press. The vehicle struck a tractor-trailer head-on, and the minivan's driver and five occupants - which included two children ages 1 and 3 - were pronounced dead from their injuries.
A sixth occupant listed in reports as a juvenile male was taken to the hospital in serious condition.
As of Saturday afternoon, more than 700 people were without power in Lawton and Tulsa, according to the Public Service Company of Oklahoma's website. All power was restored by 9 p.m. local time.
The City of Tulsa made 64 truck-mounted salt spreaders, 48 snow plows, seven 4x4 trucks equipped with snow plows, 170 employees and almost 8,500 tons of salt available to combat the effects of Hera, according to television station KJRH.

Missouri

The St. Louis County Department of Transportation prepared for the incoming snow by pre-treating the major roads, reported CBS St. Louis.

"I'm talking roads like Clayton, Hanley, Big Bend, Reavis Barracks, Chambers - multi-lane roads that carry significant volumes of traffic," said Department of Transportation worker Dave Wrone. He said plenty of materials such as salt and magnesium sulfate were on hand.
As for the warm side of Hera, severe thunderstorms associated with the same frontal system have affected parts of the south.

Winter Storm Hera