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The second major snow event of 2018 in Hampton Roads brought fewer inches but almost as many wrecks as the first in slippery conditions. On the Peninsula, an I-64 Newport News crash involved a trooper.
A state trooper was involved in a wreck while investigating a different accident on Interstate 64 at J. Clyde Morris Boulevard in Newport News.
The Daily Press reported the crash was caused by a driver who was traveling too fast for wintery conditions. The crash occurred just before 3:30 p.m. in the westbound lanes near the J. Clyde Morris Boulevard intersection, according to state police spokeswoman Sgt. Michelle Anaya.
The trooper was on the left shoulder investigating a wreck when the patrol vehicle was struck, according to Anaya. Anaya said investigators think the driver of a Honda Accord was traveling too fast for slippery road conditions, lost control, and rear-ended the trooper’s car.
The trooper sustained injuries not believed to be life-threatening and was transported to Sentara Urgent Care for treatment.
We are relieved to hear the trooper is likely to make a recovery after this frightening I-64 Newport News Crash.
The I-64 runs through Newport News, Hampton, Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake as well as further north. It’s a congested interstate. Frequently drivers travel too fast and troopers are in constant danger.
A report on WAVY.com noted the snowfall on Wednesday night led to multiple crashes in Hampton Roads. Virginia State Police troopers responded to 179 crashes by 8 a.m. Thursday. The morning commute on Thursday remained hazardous with a thin layer of ice lingering on many roads. Troopers responded to a further six wrecks. No fatalities were reported.
The snowfall was variable across the region. North Suffolk reported one of the highest totals in Hampton Roads, about 4.5 inches.
Many rural roads to the west of the urban areas remained treacherous into Thursday. A car slid off a highway into a ditch off Cypress Bridge Road in Southampton County. A local volunteer fire department reported the driver suffered minor injuries.
In Virginia Beach, crews were out treating highways on Wednesday. However, some roads did not receive enough snow to be plowed. The presence of a layer of ice on some of these roads made them hazardous.
Public works officials say at least two inches of snow is required before a snow plow can clear a road.
Newport News Police Department said most of the major roads in the city were clear by Thursday but slippery conditions remained on secondary roads.
Icy conditions were reported on major bridges and tunnels including the Monitor Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel and the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel linking the Virginia Peninsula and Southside Hampton Roads. Winter restrictions were imposed on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
Winter storms of this nature have become more frequent in Hampton Roads in recent years. Wednesday night’s snowfall came just two weeks after a major blizzard hit the region and closed down many schools for a week.
You should avoid driving on snow unless it’s really necessary. If you are going to venture out, exercise care and read our inclement weather driving tips.
Always make sure you have the basics like an ice scraper and drive carefully on slippery roads. Do not speed or rush to get to your destination even if you are running late in bad weather.
If you or a loved one has been injured due to the fault of another driver in winter conditions, please call us at (757) 455-0077.