ST. LOUIS – The massive winter storm that blanketed the St. Louis metro area with up to a foot of snow has turned roads into a nightmare, leaving auto body shops overwhelmed.
The managing owner of West County Auto Body said their phones rang Monday morning nonstop from between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Over 50 calls came in, but only three out of 24 employees were on-site to manage the chaos.
“The people I talked to on the phone mainly sounded like they ran off the road. Hit curbs like under suspension damage, bumpers stuff like that,” Managing Owner of West County Auto Body Rob Terranova said.
Terranova has worked at the shop for 24 years, and said this storm one of the worst storms he has seen in over an decade. Adding to the challenge, weather related closures meant no parts could be delivered.
“No parts places were open today, and we were scheduled to get a bunch of parts for the cars that are here,” he added.
Servicing the vehicles, factoring in the ones that were already on the wait list, may take months.
“Right now technically we’re booking a couple of months out but what we’re going to do with the tow ins is get all the insurance stuff processed. All the paperwork done and then kind of fit them into our schedule as we go,” Terranova stated.
The storm has overwhelmed towing companies as well. AAA reported over 500 service calls since Saturday, prioritizing stranded motorists. Terry’s Towing and Raptor Towing have handled hundreds of vehicles, including 50 semi-truck trailers.
Meanwhile, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department received 715 service calls between Saturday and Monday, with 34 accidents, and 140 motorists assists.
“Two of the phone calls we got say that they were going around the plow truck. They got hit in the snow and got shoved off the road,” Terranova said.
MoDOT crews continue to work around the clock, but with icy streets and bitterly cold temperatures, officials and mechanics alike stress the same advice: Stay home if you can, drive slow if you must, and steer clear of working crews.