Be careful on the roads, icy patches causing accidents across metro Detroit including

The mix of melting snow and lingering cold temperatures has created new traffic hazards this morning, as drivers — including a Detroit Police officer — are running into icy patches on the roads.

On Tuesday morning at 6:50 a.m., a Detroit Police officer, 62, was involved in a crash on southbound I-75 and Vernor in southwest Detroit.

According to a spokesperson for the department, the officer slid on ice and hit a wall. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment and is in temporarily serious condition.

This is one of several accidents that have occurred Tuesday, according to Diane Cross, spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Transportation.

"We have had about a dozen minor crashes this morning," said Cross, who noted that most have taken place on the shoulder of the highways.

"I would estimate — this is just my estimation based on years of doing traffic — that we still have cold temperatures, so there are still slick spots," she said, adding that speeding is usually involved in most crashes.

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"When it happens on the shoulder people are usually going over the line, hitting snow or ice and hit median walls," she said, adding that they can also be sliding into a ditch off the shoulder.

"It looks like every freeway has one accident going on somewhere," she said. "It doesn't take much speed to hit a small patch of ice and lose control, especially if you're not keeping both hands on the wheel."