LISBON - Roads throughout the county became treacherous Sunday morning as a drizzly rain turned to ice when temperatures dipped below freezing, causing numerous accidents.

A spokesman with the Lisbon post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol reported about 18 weather-related accidents during the morning, with troopers too busy to complete many reports.

Two that were completed last night included one from 8:45 a.m. on state Route 11 in Elkrun Township in which both drivers went to hospitals. According to reports, Mohamed I. Siddig, 39, Youngstown, was southbound in the passing lane when he lost control of the van he was driving, owned by Fitory G. Arjam, Niles.

The van slid across the median, striking Joshua A. Miller, 26, Lancaster, Calif., driving a vehicle owned by Denise L. Miller, Valley Drive, East Liverpool. Siddig's vehicle came to rest after striking a guardrail. He was transported by North Star Critical Care ambulance to East Liverpool City Hospital, while Miller was taken by KLG ambulance to Salem Community Hospital. Miller's passenger, Jessica B. Short, 23, Altadena, Calif., was uninjured.

Siddig was charged with assured clear distance.

The patrol reported Ashley M. Cheeks, 18, North Market Street, Lisbon, was northbound on state Route 517 when she lost control of her vehicle on the slippery roadway, sliding off the road and into a ditch. She, too, was cited with assured clear distance, according to the patrol.

Shadyside Avenue in Liverpool Township became a sheet of ice in the early morning hours, causing at least one crash involving three vehicles. Both county and township salt trucks became stuck trying to reach the accident, according to one of the crash victims, East Liverpool police Capt. Norm Curtis.

An official report was not available last night from township police, but Curtis said he was en route to work on Shadyside when he stopped for a car sideways in the roadway.

"How he got up that far, I don't know," Curtis said.

As he sat motionless, another vehicle came down the hill and could not stop, plowing into his pickup truck, which Curtis said was virtually launched into two other stopped cars, sideswiping them. His truck was heavily dented on both sides and in the front from the impact, but once the road was slagged and salted and became passable, Curtis was able to continue on to work.

However, somewhere along the way, Curtis suffered another loss: His uniform tie, which he could not find after the crash.

City police reported several ice-related crashes Sunday, including one that resulted in the arrest of a local man.

Patrolman Robert Ramsey was at the scene of a two-vehicle crash on Maine Boulevard just before 10 a.m. in which Barbara J. Chaney, 49, Carolina Avenue, lost control of her vehicle while eastbound, striking a mailbox. Jason E. Gray, 28, Wilbert Avenue, tried to stop his vehicle but slid and struck the rear of Chaney's vehicle.

After stopping traffic at the accident, Ramsey said he saw Cody A. Quimby, 19, Pennsylvania Avenue Extension, pull around the stopped vehicles and his cruiser - which had its overhead lights flashing - then pull around another cruiser, nearly striking it and then failing to stop at a stop sign.

Quimby was stopped on McKinnon Avenue and reportedly told Ramsey he was not paying attention due to an argument with his passenger. He was cited for reckless operation.

Other accidents reported in East Liverpool included:

- Ralph London, 52, Curry Street, slid on ice while turning onto Chester Avenue, striking a tree

- Vincent J. Milewski, 68, Moore Road, lost control while northbound on Dresden Avenue, striking several mailboxes.

About eight crashes were reported by St. Clair Township police last night, and, although the details were not immediately available, an officer said he did not think there were any serious injuries.

In Salineville, road foreman Jeff Lewis said he knew of no actual crashes except one: the village salt truck he was driving.

"I slid into a guardrail. It was pretty icy. There were quite a few people pulled off the side of the road," Lewis said, adding the truck was not seriously damaged, with some molding torn off.

"It can snow all it wants, but this rain can go away and never come back," Lewis said.

In Wellsville, police reported one accident on the state Route 7 overpass with no injuries but said the fire department had reported many cars pulled over on state Route 39, waiting for salt trucks to come by.

Salem police reported no problems with the weather.

A slippery Bacon Avenue proved problematic for some drivers Sunday morning in East Palestine.

None of the area police departments reported problems with power lines as a result of Saturday night's freezing rain.

Based on Sunday evening weather reports, no additional freezing rain is expected today.

Staff writer Jen Matsick contributed to this report.

jgilbert@mojonews.com