Overnight ice caused early morning trouble for commuters; delays and closings for schools

WASHINGTON - Black ice made for slick driving conditions early Monday morning as commuters took to the roads after a night of rain and sleet.

Multiple crashes were reported around the region causing several roads to close. Dozens of schools across the metro region were delayed.

One of the most serious crashes was reported in Howard County around 3:30 a.m. along westbound Interstate 70 near Route 32. Four vehicles were involved and one person was seriously injured. Police say a car-carrier tractor trailer and a second tractor trailer were involved in the crash. One of the trucks overturned. An image posted to Twitter by the West Friendship Volunteer Fire Department shows flames coming from one of the vehicles. Police believe icy conditions played a part in this crash.

An earlier crash also reported in Howard County along Interstate 70 involved a large tanker truck. Authorities say the crash in Cooksville was reported just before 1 a.m. and was a result of icy road conditions.

Police in Anne Arundel County were investigating a fatal pedestrian incident in Crofton. The incident happened along Route 3 near Crofton Boulevard. Police said they were responding to numerous crashes countywide due to icing conditions but did not release the cause of this incident. The Anne Arundel County Fire department says they had responded to dozens of collisions early Monday morning with several involving injuries.

FOX 5's Mike Thomas says no more precipitation is expected today but the winds will pick up. At times, Thomas says, wind gusts could exceed 40 miles per hour. Icy tree limbs may be in danger of coming down but hopefully the sun comes out and warms things up enough to melt any leftover ice.

Another storm system later this week could cause problems similar to the ones experienced Monday. Thomas say a rain / snow mix around the morning commute hours on Wednesday could make for slick conditions before changing to all rain.