Tulsa County Deputies Respond To Calls, Look For Stranded Drivers After Winter Storm

Law enforcement has been hard at work keeping people safe on the roads during the snow.

Tulsa County deputies spend more time on the rural roads, responding to calls in hard-to-reach areas and looking for abandoned cars.

News On 6 rode along with Deputy Jeremy Benware as he responded to calls Friday.

"Tonight, we're just going to be waiting to take calls,” said Benware. “Obviously, we're going to look for people driving in a manner that's not reasonable or proper. Just because the speed limit says 65 doesn't mean you go 65 when there's snow and ice on the ground."

READY TO HELP

One of the big things deputies Benware do during and after winter storms is look for abandoned cars on the side of the road, to make sure there’s no one stranded inside.

"If we come across a car when the weather's bad and it's off in a ditch or it's hit a tree or a sign, we'll check to make sure nobody's inside that car, passed out or hurt or something like that,” said Benware.

WARNING DRIVERS TO BE CAREFUL

Benware says people still need to be careful when driving because wet spots could re-freeze overnight.

"I think it gives people a false sense of security driving, they think, ‘Oh it's fine, I don't see any snow,”’ said Benware. “Snow's not the worry; it's the black ice and things like that. The moisture accumulation on the roads, especially the side roads that don't get salt or sand or plowed or things like that."

Benware hopes that with weather conditions like these, people will drive smart, slow down, keep away from others, and if possible, stay home.

"I get that some people don't have a choice, they have to get to work, things like that, that's totally understandable,” said Benware. “If you're just going out because you want to visit friends or hang out or do something, maybe try it when it's not so bad."

PULL OVER, CALL FOR HELP

Benware says if you do get into a crash or your car breaks down, be sure to get it out of the road as best as you can and call for help.