Dec. 22 (UPI) — Authorities said ice and heavy fog contributed to a chain-reaction accident on Interstate 64 near Williamsburg, Va. Sunday morning that created a pileup of at least 63 vehicles, essentially shutting down the busy freeway for hours.
Images from the scene showed a swath of wrecked vehicles that ranged from fender-benders to smashed rear ends, all bringing a sudden stop to traffic.
The accidents started to accumulate about 7:51 a.m. where Virginia State Police believed ice was present on the Queens Creek Bridge, an area where motorists were already hampered by heavy fog.
“[Virginia State Police] investigation continues into 63-vehicle chain [reaction] crashes impacting east and west I-64 in York County,” the state police said in an update Sunday afternoon. “Thirty-five [were] transported for treatment. No fatalities reported.”
The Virginia Department of Transportation reported at about 11:15 a.m. it re-opened all eastbound lanes of the interstate at the Queens Creek Bridge but the westbound lanes remained closed and traffic detoured to Route 199.
Authorities said the wreckage was compacted so tightly that some of the crashed vehicles pushed others off the freeway and some slid underneath others, making it more difficult for emergency personnel to remove victims.
