Jan. 21--A state trooper was hospitalized after his cruiser was struck today during a morning storm that closed schools, kept non-emergency state workers at home for hours and created a traffic nightmare.
"It's a mess out there driving," said Peter Judge, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. "Those who are out there now are going to slog through another multi-hour commute."
The unidentified trooper was taken to St. Elizabeth's Hospital after his cruiser was rear-ended by another vehicle at 9:10 a.m. on the Massachusetts Turnpike westbound in Brighton, state police said.
The trooper suffered non-life threatening injuries. The cruiser was responding to a tractor-trailer crash near Interchange 19 when his vehicle was struck. A second ambulance was dispatched to evaluate the driver who struck the cruiser because that motorist reported pain, state police said. There were no injuries associated with the tractor-trailer crash that the trooper was responding to when the cruiser was struck.
The National Weather Service is predicting 3 to 8 inches will fall in the Boston area. Last night, Gov. Deval Patrick instructed all non-emergency state employees to start their work day at 11 a.m.
Unlike previous winter storms which have caused power outages, down trees and coastal flooding, the biggest threat associated with this snowfall is traffic. There are 3,732 crews on state roads clearing snow.
State troopers are at the ramp from Interstate 93 north to Route 495 south where a disabled tractor trailer is awaiting a heavy tow truck.
On the Pike, the speed limit has been reduced to 40 miles per hour and propane tankers and tandem trucks are restricted from the New York line to Boston. There is also a tractor trailer crash near the Charlton barracks.
Troopers are on Rte. 93 in Boston, where there is a disabled tractor trailer unit.
Shuttle buses are being used on the Mattapan High Speed Line because of the heavy snow.
All HOV lanes are closed.
