A crash that took the lives of three people started as a police pursuit.
Police tell us the driver of a Dodge Avenger evaded a state trooper that tried to stop the vehicle vehicle near the Massaponax exit in Spostylvania County at 4:33 p.m. Police said the car was traveling at 80 mph in a 65 mph zone on Interstate 95 north.
Police broke off the pursuit due to heavy traffic, but state troopers who were positioned further north on the highway spotted the car and again tried to stop the driver. The car then entered the E-ZPass Express Lanes, breaking through three closed gates to prevent drivers from entering, and continued north, driving the wrong way on the Express Lanes that was carrying southbound traffic.
About 20 minutes after police initially tired to stop the Dodge, the driver collided with a Ford pickup traveling south in the Express Lanes at Dale City. The collision forced the pickup up and over a guardrail.
Meanwhile, two other cars collided with Dodge causing it to catch fire. The driver of the Dodge became trapped inside the vehicle, which caught fire, and died. A passenger that had been in the Dodge was ejected and died.
The driver of the pickup also died at the scene. A third driver was taken to a hospital with injuries that did not appear to be life threatening, police said.
The victims have yet to be identified.
More as we have it.
A full press release from Virginia State Police is below.
Virginia State Police continues to investigate a four-vehicle crash in Prince William County that occurred Thursday afternoon (March 18) that has resulted in three deaths.
The incident began at approximately 4:33 p.m. Thursday when a Virginia State Police trooper attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a 2008 Dodge Avenger traveling north on Interstate 95 at a high rate of speed near the 127-mile-marker in Spotsylvania County. The violation was for traveling 80 mph in a posted 65 mph zone. The Dodge refused to stop and a pursuit was initiated. Within two minutes, the trooper terminated the pursuit due to heavy northbound traffic on I-95. The Dodge sped away headed north using the left shoulder.
State police further north positioned themselves for the coming suspect vehicle and, due to lighter traffic, re-initiated the pursuit of the speeding Dodge as it continued north on I-95. The Dodge exited I-95 for the Express Lanes. It broke through three of the lighted Express Lanes gates at the entry as it headed north into the lanes that were switched for southbound traffic only. The trooper did not follow the Dodge into the Express Lanes.
Inside the Express Lanes at the 155-mile-marker, the Dodge struck head-on a southbound Ford Ranger pickup truck. The impact of the crash caused the Ford to run off the side of the Express Lanes and over the guardrail. Meanwhile, two more southbound vehicles collided with the Dodge, causing the Dodge to catch fire.
The female driver of the Dodge died at the scene. The female passenger in the Dodge was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene.
The male driver of the Ford pickup truck died at the scene.
The driver in the third vehicle in the crash was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver and two passengers in the fourth vehicle were treated at the scene for minor injuries.
The incident remains under investigation. Names will be released once next of kin is notified.
Original post
Three people were killed in a fiery crash on the Interstate 95 E-ZPass Express Lanes.
Rescue crews were called to the cash near Dale Boulevard about 4:50 p.m. after a sedan was traveling the north in the Express Lanes, which were pointed south. The impact of the crash caused the vehicles to catch fire.
Crews found two cars on fire with at least three people trapped, according to initial reports.
Crews doused the blaze, however, the three people were unable to escape.
At least one other person was taken to a local hospital.
A portion of the Express Lanes, at the scene of the crash, are closed.
We’ll update this post with more as we have it.
Due to an accident on I-95 SB near Cardinal Dr., traffic is being diverted off the Express Lanes at Prince William Parkway. The Dale Blvd. entrance to the Express Lanes is also completely closed. Updates to follow.
— VA Express Lanes (@VAExpressLanes) March 18, 2021
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