Update 3:50 p.m.
Police now say 10 people were taken to the hospital this morning, and 52 cars involved in a crash that closed a portion of Interstate 95 in Dale City.
The crash happened at 8:08 a.m., when a truck slid into the rear of a tractor-trailer.
That crashed sparked a number of smaller crashes along the same stretch of road, resulting in the 52-car pile.
It all happened at the height of Saturday morning’s snowfall. Update 11:15 a.m.
We now have more on this morning’s crash in a statement from Virginia State Police:
At 8:08 a.m., Virginia State Police were called to a two-vehicle crash in the southbound lanes of I-95 at the 156 mile marker. A straight truck collided with a tractor-trailer. The driver of the straight truck was transported by ambulance to Potomac Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. The first crash sparked a chain-reaction crash as a result of the slick, snow-covered lanes. At least 20 vehicles – to include four tractor-trailers and two other types of commercial vehicles – collided in the southbound lanes of I-95. A total of four people, including the driver from the first crash, were transported to local hospitals for treatment of minor injuries. The investigation into the initial crash remains ongoing.
Southbound traffic was re-routed to the HOV lanes to allow traffic to move through the area. By 10:30 a.m., the multi-vehicle crash was cleared and all southbound lanes reopened.
State police also responded to a multi-vehicle crash in the northbound lanes of I-95 just south of the rest area in Dale City.This crash had fewer vehicles involved and a few individuals were transported for treatment of injuries. Two northbound lanes remained open during the course of the crash investigation and clean up.
Update 10:50 a.m.
Cars invloved in pile up have been moved from highway, traffic moving again along I-95 in Prince William County.
Dale City, Va. –– A 15-car pile up on Interstate 95 in Dale City stalled traffic on the highway during the height of Saturday morning’s snowfall.
The crash happened about 8 a.m., when multiple cars – in two separate incidents – collided with each other on the highway. There was one person who suffered minor injures, said Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller.
Another crash on U.S. 1 at the Prince William / Stafford County line also blocked all lanes of the highway just after 9 a.m. At least one person was injured, but officials couldn’t say if the injuries were serious.
Other than traffic crashes, spinouts and delays, Saturday’s snow blanked the Potomac Communities with a little more than an inch of powder. It could be brushed off easily from sidewalks and from car windshields.
While no counties in Northern Virginia were under a Winter Weather Advisory, the National Weather Service did place our neighbors to the north, in Maryland, under an advisory.
The weather forecast calls for it to stay cold, but there is another chance for snow – possibly a significant amount – on Tuesday. Stay tuned.
