PARK HILLS, Ky. -- Yes, black ice is real. A driver in Northern Kentucky found that out the hard way Monday morning after hitting a police cruiser.
The cruiser's dashboard-mounted camera recorded the collision on River Road.
According to the Park Hills Police Department, the crash happened while officers were helping another driver who'd slid off the road. That car was about 100 feet off the road but not damaged.
Then an oncoming compact car hit a patch of ice. It turned sideways and slid into the cruiser, hitting on the car's passenger's side.
Lt. Richard Webster said he was out of his cruiser at the time, helping the first driver. Had the second car not hit his cruiser, he thought it might have rolled down an embankment or hit a nearby telephone pole.
In this case, nobody was hurt, and nobody was charged. The cruiser was still in operation after the crash.
"So if you see a police unit with its lights on, please slow down and give them room because there is a reason they are there," Webster wrote on Facebook.
Black ice can make wintertime driving especially treacherous, because it's hard to see. A road that otherwise appears clear or simply wet could be frozen over, sending a vehicle sliding out of control.
Among other tips, AAA recommends driving slowly, allowing extra distance between you and the car in front of you, and -- if it's too dangerous -- stay at home.
