HARRISBURG — Last winter, aggressive driving was a factor in 440 crashes on snowy, slushy or ice-covered roadways in Pennsylvania. Those crashes caused one fatality and 221 injuries.

Officials from three state agencies gathered Monday to announce the plan to tackle this winter season and announce tools the public can use to help deal with the weather.

Butler County is not immune to winter weather related accidents. In 2018, PennDOT data show, 99 accidents in Butler occurred on snow covered roads. Another 57 wrecks took place on slushy roads, 42 on icy roads and 39 on roads with icy patches.

In Butler County, 2018 brought two accidents on roads with patches of ice caused major injuries. One was in December in Center Township, while the other was in April in Muddy Creek Township. The Center Township accident involved a speeding driver.

One wreck on a snow-covered road involved a major injury. That wreck occurred in Muddy Creek Township in February.

“Our number-one priority is safety, and that guides our winter preparations and operations,” said Leslie Richards, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's secretary. “We are ready for the season ahead and want the public to prepare and be aware of the tools available to them.”

Joining Richards was Mark Compton, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission's CEO, and Randy Padfield, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency's director.

This is an excerpt from an article that appeared in Tuesday's Butler Eagle. Subscribe online or in print to read the full article which talks about turnpike updates, statewide costs and what to look out for while driving in cold weather..