The ice and snow that left the area early Monday lingered long enough to be blamed for at least one death in Northwest North Carolina — a 3-year-old girl in Surry County.
Azlynn Cretzman was killed when her family's Chrysler van went off Interstate 74 near the split with I-77 because of an iced-over bridge over N.C. 89, county emergency officials said.
"The sun hadn't gotten on it to melt it," said Kevin Key, a county EMS shift supervisor.
The crash happened about 7:20 a.m. The car with Matthew and Lana Cretzman, both 26, and their daughters, Azlynn and Maddison, 1, went off the left side of the road and the van's left side struck the foundation of a highway sign.
Azlynn Cretzman was taken to Northern Hospital of Surry County, where she was pronounced dead, said trooper Erick Carroll of the N.C. Highway Patrol.
Matthew Cretzman and Maddison were treated at Northern for minor injuries, Carroll said.
Lana Cretzman was taken to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, where she was being treated for a broken right leg and fractured rib, Carroll said. Her injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, Key said.
The highway patrol is investigating the crash. The family was traveling to Knoxville, Tenn., Carroll said. The Cretzmans are from Canada.
Most other counties in Northwest North Carolina reported icy patches and some slowdowns but few major problems during the morning rush hour, as the ice quickly thawed in most areas. Some secondary roads were still covered in ice or snow in the mountain counties of Northwest North Carolina.
In Davidson County, for example, 15 to 20 wrecks happened on state roads Sunday night, the highway patrol said. But conditions improved by Monday morning and no new wrecks were reported, Carroll said.
The National Weather Service forecast calls for a return of higher-than-normal temperatures this week in the Triad, with highs in the mid-50s today and creeping up to 67 by Thursday.
About 4½ inches of snow fell Sunday in Ashe and Watauga counties, the weather service said. About 3 inches fell in Surry and a little more than 2½ inches fell in western Forsyth County. The Charlotte area received a dusting of snow.
Dozens of school districts from the mountains to the Research Triangle closed or delayed opening until roads cleared Monday.
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