Rescuers use sled to pull driver to safety after Burke County crash in icy conditions

BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — Rescuers used a sled to pull a driver to safety Wednesday morning after ice caused several crashes south of Valdese.

Mineral Springs Mountain Road was shut down for hours after black ice caused more than a half-dozen crashes.

[WINTER WEATHER OUTLOOK: Channel 9 meteorologists prepare you for the season]

Drivers said the accidents started around 5 a.m. as cars and even an armored truck slammed into guardrails.

It was so slick rescuers had a tough time crossing the road to reach a woman who got out of her car only to fall on the ice.

At one point, Channel 9 saw crews sliding her down the icy hillside on a sled to an ambulance.

Winter Weather Resources:

• How and when to protect your pipes from freezing
• Winter weather watch, warning and advisory: What's the difference?
• 7 tips to keep your pets safe during winter weather
• More ideas to keep kids entertained during a storm
• Bread and milk: Why do we buy those foods before a storm?
• When temperatures drop, don't be thrifty with your heat
• Life hacks: How to remove snow when you don't have shovels
• Stay safe while driving on black ice
• What is the coldest temperature ever recorded in each state?

Drivers said the slick conditions made it a tough morning drive.

“Along for the ride,” driver Rose Anderson said. “It didn’t matter how you steered the car, it was just going to take you where it wanted to take you.”

Freezing rain fell for only about an hour Wednesday morning in the foothills, but with the temperature just below freezing and the with the frigid weather the past two nights, it didn’t take long for some roads to ice over.

“Just hit the ice and bumped into the guardrail but no damage to the vehicle,” driver Jessica McGalliard said. “Everybody around me bounced off the guardrail and got smashed.”

Many people said the drive Wednesday was worse than during the December storm, when parts of Burke County received 10 inches of snow.

“It didn’t matter how you steered the car. It was going to take you where it was going to take you,” driver Rose Anderson said.

Caldwell County officials canceled school after reports of several wrecks.

The freezing temperatures held on until around lunchtime. The concern overnight is the possibility of heavy rain in the foothills and mountains.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:

• Casey Hathaway missing: NC 3-year-old vanishes from grandma's backyard
• Woman reportedly kidnapped, raped by Uber driver after leaving uptown club
• Father warns parents after son breaks both ankles at Hickory trampoline park
• WATCH: Keith Monday's Wednesday forecast outlook
• Mom who gave birth on side of road allegedly used same car to run meth operation

Cox Media Group