Dec. 23 (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 69 vehicles that left dozens injured, shutting down the busy freeway for hours.
Virginia State Police said there were no deaths but 51 people were transported to regional hospitals, mostly for minor injuries. Eleven people were being treated for serious injuries, they said.
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 at about 7:51 a.m. when 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 I-64 York County crashes,” state police said in an update Sunday afternoon. “Sixty-nine vehicles [with] 51 [people] transported to region hospitals. Most injuries minor; 11 serious. No life-threatening or fatalities reported. Fog [and] ice causative factors.”
The Virginia Department of Transportation reported about 3:35 p.m. it re-opened all lanes of the interstate at the Queens Creek Bridge. All eastbound lanes had been re-opened by about 11:15 a.m., but the westbound lanes remained closed and traffic was 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.
Virginia State Police said via Facebook that no charges have been filed at this time and the investigation into the pileup is ongoing.
