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Tonya Papanikolas Reporting"Anywhere air can get under the surface of the road and freeze that up, there's gonna be a good chance of being black ice."
Troopers are hoping that holiday travelers heading back home tonight will be extra careful on the roads. Last night officers responded to the first deadly crash of the holiday weekend. Two people were killed in that weather-related accident.
Troopers are giving drivers a warning again because 240,000 Utahns were expected to travel at least 50 miles away by car this weekend. Many of those people will be coming home tonight. Officers say the earlier they can leave the better.
The holiday weekend is almost over and that means a lot of people will be traveling home on the roads.
David Lund, Traveler: “I am going back up to Idaho for school."
John Buhmeyer, Traveler: “I'm just heading back now to Boise."
With more people on the roads and the weather turning cold and icy, troopers say it's a formula for crashes. Last night a mother and daughter were driving on I-15 in Clearfield when they lost control of the car over an icy overpass.
Sgt. Chris Simmons, Utah Highway Patrol: “Came across the bridge, slid off into the gore area and rolled."
The Jeep landed upside down in the median. While the women were getting out, another driver lost control on the ice and hit them. The mother and daughter died at the scene.
A Davis County sergeant says the mother was driving her daughter back to BYU from Oregon.
Sgt. Chris Simmons: “It's an unfortunate circumstance with the weather tonight."
The Utah Highway Patrol responded to more than 400 accidents just yesterday. They occurred all over the state: 35 in Davis County, 147 in Salt Lake County, and 105 in Utah County.
Troopers hope they don't see more fatalities as travelers hit the road tonight.
Sgt. Greg Willmore, UHP: “We just can't drive as fast as we have been in the summer and fall."
The freeways may look dry, but overpasses can be extremely dangerous. With the air passing underneath the bridge, snow and ice stay a lot longer. We were there in the middle of the day and you could still see it.
Sgt. Greg Willmore, UHP: “The on and off-ramps, too. Water tends to drain down those sometimes and freeze up."
Holiday drivers say they're aware of conditions and try to be extra cautious with the snow.
John Buhmeyer, Traveler: “Just keep close to the speed limit or less, keep away from cars."
The women who died yesterday were 49-year-old Kimberly Renville and 22-year-old Kathryn Renville from Oregon. The young man who hit them was not injured.
