Troopers: Dangerous Conditions On U.S. 2 Near Cashmere After Multiple Spinouts

The Washington State Patrol is urging the public to be aware of driving dangers with winter conditions after numerous crashes and spinouts on U.S. 2 west of Cashmere. 

The stretch of roadway troopers call "Rock Cut" was extremely icy Monday as Chelan County deputies assisted with the high volume of vehicles sliding off the highway. 

Trooper Jeremy Weber says State Patrol policy is to cite people for collisions, which is often driving too fast for conditions. 

"A lot of people say, 'Well, I wasn't speeding. I was going 60. That's what the speed limit says,'" said Weber. "But that's what the speed limit is under normal conditions, right? But when it's icy out, we need to be responsible and slow down to what's reasonable and prudent for the conditions. 

Weber said the westbound side was where the crashes were occurring, although the eastbound side was also quite slick. 

He described the roadway as a sheet of ice that someone wearing skates could skate across. 

There were no serious injuries reported, but Weber says too many drivers were not slowing down when given visual warning signs. 

"We try to go as far as we can to put flares out to let people start knowing not to slam on the brakes, but start slowing down because there's something up ahead," Weber said. "But, apparently it's not enough. People were going by us at 60 miles an hour, easily, when we're on a sheet of ice trying to help people get out of their vehicles safely." 

Weber didn't give a total number of crashes. 

He said the particular stretch of U.S. 2 west of Cashmere gets very slick a couple of times a year, and predicted it would remain dangerous over the next several days.