Bloody Sunday leading up to dangerous driving season

There was a home Cornhusker game, hunting season is under way and the weather was unusually nice for the first weekend of November.

For whatever reason, it was a bloody Sunday on Nebraska highways.

We noticed a number of Facebook entries concerning an Interstate accident that blocked traffic for a time, and an Associated Press story gave the details: Witnesses said a tire fell off a car, which then crossed the median and struck the back of a semitrailer.

The impact broke off the truck's back axel and both vehicles rolled. One person in the car died and three passengers and the truck driver were taken to a Grand Island hospital.

But that was only the most spectacular crash.

That afternoon, a car went out of control on a curve in Waterloo, crossed the median and another roadway and rolled several times. The driver was dead at the scene and a passenger was flown to an Omaha hospital.

Early Sunday morning, a pickup truck and a minivan collided near Milford, killing the woman driving the pickup and leaving the other driver in critical condition. Speed was thought to be a factor in that wreck.

No one was killed, but eight people were taken to the hospital after a five-car pileup near Columbus Sunday evening.

A state patrolman said a car was stopped, trying to turn when another vehicle rear-ended it, creating a chain reaction on the busy highway.

We're headed into a dangerous time of year, with weather compounding a busy holiday travel season when drivers are prone to distractions and alcohol impairment.

What can we say?

Make sure your car is in good shape before you head out on the road, leave the driving to sober, rested people, watch the weather reports and check your winter car kit to make sure you have everything you might need if you got stranded in a blizzard.