Truck drivers stranded due to icy conditions on West Texas roads

Icy road conditions are leaving many truckers stranded in the Sun City. The drivers could be seen hanging out at local truck stops because of icy conditions in surrounding cities.

Ed Mapes has been driving trucks for years now. He says that weather and road conditions like this are things he is trained and prepared for.

One thing Mapes was proud of was driving over 500,000 miles without an accident, but as soon as he headed west of Fort Stockton this past week, his record was broken due to a speeding driver.

“I’m only doing 30 mph in the slow lane, and this car tries to pass me cause I’m going to slow,” Mapes said. “Hits the ice, spins out, and they hit the front of the truck. Their passenger door is all smashed in, they’re just so lucky that I was going so slow.”

Mapes is used to driving up north where these weather conditions are common.Texas though, he says, isn’t quite prepared for conditions like this.

“Texas hasn’t been putting the sand on the roads, until yesterday, so there are still some bad areas,” Mapes said.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park in southeastern New Mexico near the Texas line will be closed because of hazardous roads and a highway closure.

TXDOT is asking all drivers headed to Lubbock to take extra precautions, as well as people driving on I-25.