Christmas Eve is not getting off to a good start for several drivers who ventured out early. In the first two hours of the rush hour, the State Patrol has responded to numerous accidents, many caused by icy roads and ramps.

Glare ice on westbound Hwy. 5 led to a pile up involving at least seven vehicles. That occurred between the Mississippi River bridge and Edgecumbe Road in St. Paul.

The Cayuga Bridge also has seen two crashes. The latest incident on southbound 35E is a stall blocking a lane at Maryland Avenue.

Word is that the wreck on southbound Hwy. 252 is blocking the left lane at 694. The ramp to east and west 694 is back open.

A couple motorists are exchanging information on the shoulder of eastbound Hwy. 10 at Hwy. 65 in the Blaine area.