Deputy coroner has warning for pedestrians, drivers during cold snap

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Baby, it’s cold outside.

Today, the highest temperature – in the upper teens – will not come until after the sun sets, said Eric Wilhelm, chief meteorologist for 21 WFMJ-TV, The Vindicator’s broadcast partner.

When you woke up Thursday to grab your newspaper, it was about 2 degrees.

“[This] morning will be cold, but the afternoon will be better than [Thursday’s],” Wilhelm said.

It will not be as windy today as it was Thursday when the temperature was 13 degrees and the wind chill was between 2 and 8 degrees below zero.

Between 9 and 11 tonight, the snow will start, but a warm front will turn the snow into freezing rain early Saturday, when temperatures will rise to the mid-40s.

At Thursday’s Mahoning County commissioners meeting, Dr. Joseph Ohr, the county’s forensic pathologist and deputy coroner, emphasized the need for extreme caution and alertness for motorists and for pedestrians walking in streets or roads when sidewalks and berms are snow- and ice-covered.

Several Valley pedestrians die each winter when they are hit by vehicles under these conditions when motorists can’t easily see them. They often wear dark clothing, Dr. Ohr said.

Pedestrians should walk facing the traffic, rather than with traffic behind them, he said.

“Never, ever assume that the car can or will stop for you,” Dr. Ohr advised pedestrians. “If you’re a driver, never, ever assume that the pedestrian can see you or hear you. They have their have their hats on. They’re looking at their feet to stay upright.”

Read more about the coming conditions in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.