Independent An average of 35,000 vehicles travel Interstate 80 in the Grand Island area every day, and of those vehicles, one is involved in an accident every other day between Shelton and Aurora. The average fluctuates depending on the time of year, said Rick Ernstmeyer, traffic analysis supervisor for the Nebraska Department of Roads. Even though the accident numbers are relatively low in Central Nebraska, they affect a number of people. The danger comes from the fact that other motorists drive by at 75 mph and are often looking at the accident, not concentrating on their driving, he said. He said the Wood River team has had some close calls, including a time when a driver veered into the median and hit the ambulance.
Workers wear reflective gear and try to close one lane if necessary.
Lammers said the Wood River team responds to 10 to 20 accidents on I-80 every year. Team members often work with other area teams such as those from Shelton, Doniphan and Grand Island if the accident is severe enough. Rescue workers see things that are hard to handle, he said. There are squad members trained in stress management to help the workers talk about the things they see. Lammers said managing stress is critically important to keep workers' feelings from interfering with their jobs.