Published Friday, January 24, 2003
Slick roads and snow showers were blamed for numerous wrecks Thursday night in Mercer County, including one in which a 36-year-old Youngstown man died.
John R. Cicogna, 36, of 5212 Mahoning Ave., was pronounced dead at 5:20 p.m. after being thrown from his vehicle on state Route 58 in Greene Township.
Cicogna was pronounced dead at the scene by Mercer County Deputy Coroner Cris H. Loutzenhiser, who said Cicogna died of internal injuries.
State police at Mercer did not release details of the crash.
At 7 p.m., state police said they were swamped with calls of traffic accidents and other road problems from early evening scattered flurries and wind. The National Weather Service reported the wind chill factor at minus 15 degrees.
Slick roads kept PennDOT workers "real busy," said Ken Pochatko, assistant Mercer County manager. The afternoon crew began working on the roads at noon and didn't expect to let up until midnight, when the next shift would take over, he said.
"We have all the trucks out and all the operators we can possibly muster," Pochatko said Thursday night.
At 7:30 p.m., no county roads were closed, though the wind kept a constant layer of drifting snow, he said.
"It keeps sweeping over the whole county and building over the county," he said.
Pochatko noted that drivers were traveling much slower than usual.
"I hope they keep it that way," he said.
Today's weather should prove much better, according to the Pittsburgh National Weather Service. The forecast calls for partly sunny skies and a high in the upper teens. However, as of Thursday night the following schools had canceled classes today: Badger, Brookfield, and Hubbard public and parochial schools.