Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown Police Department issued an advisory to the public at a little before 8 a.m. Monday to slow down and use extreme caution after black ice on roads in Youngstown led to “over 20 traffic crashes, mainly on the freeways.”

But by 10:15 a.m., Lt. Frank Rutherford of the Youngstown Police Department issued a second advisory stating that the Madison Avenue Expressway and Himrod Avenue Expressway had both been reopened for travel in both lanes.

The Interstate 680 southbound exit ramp for the Himrod Avenue Expressway / U.S. Route 62 ramp still remained closed at 10:15 a.m., Rutherford stated. The exit ramp was going to remain shut down for “at least a couple of hours to remove and tow 21 vehicles involved in a crash,” he stated.

Lt. Robert Gentile, head of the Youngstown Police Department Accident Investigation Unit, said late Monday that from the more than 20 accidents, there were “several minor injuries.”

He said his advice to the public is to “slow down and be cautious, even when the roads don’t look bad and give yourself extra time in the morning to get where you are going.”

He suggested that people “give yourself extra time to slow down and increase your following distance behind other cars.”

On state Route 11 Monday morning, Ohio Department of Transportation snow plows were stationed at many of the crossovers from state Route 82 in Howland to Youngstown about 8:15 a.m. Monday.

Several ODOT salt trucks also were seen on state Route 11 between Route 82 and Gypsy Lane in Trumbull County late Sunday night.