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Snow and icy roads caused more than 100 crashes across Virginia, with many drivers failing to slow down due to the conditions, according to state police.
The crashes included an overturned tractor trailer that closed all lanes on Interstate 95 north in Chesterfield County early Wednesday morning. The interstate reopened before 8 a.m.
“People driving at the posted speed limit, they are putting their lives at risk, other drivers and the first responders who are out here investigating these crashes,” Virginia State Police Sgt. Thomas Molnar said. Although he did not say the tractor trailer crash was a result of speed, speed did play a factor in other collisions across Virginia.
Virginia State Police responded to 250 calls for service since the snow started to fall Tuesday afternoon in the Richmond area alone, reported WTVR.com.
“Of those calls for service, troopers have responded to 78 motor vehicle crashes mostly involving property damage and 73 disabled vehicles. Most of the crashes have occurred in the Richmond Metro-Tri Cities area,” Molnar said.
South Hampton Roads was hit hard by the snow. On Tuesday, the cities of Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach declared a local state of emergency, which will allow them to track storm expenditures for possible reimbursement if a federal declaration is made. Suffolk declared a state of emergency on Wednesday.
Many secondary roads remained hazardous and untreated by Thursday. Drew Lankford with Virginia Beach Public Works told WAVY on Thursday, the city was focusing on clearing the secondary roads leading to key buildings such as schools. With the temperatures dropping, the concern was for any refreeze on roads that were cleared.
Will Sessoms, the Mayor of Virginia Beach, said there were reports of black ice on the roadways and he was concerned for people who had to return to work and had to be on the roads. People he said people should stay off treacherous roads, if possible.
In Chesapeake crews were working through the night to clear roads. The city warned of re-freeze on some roads as temperatures fell overnight. Take care if you are driving on the roads and aim to avoid them if possible.
If you have been injured due to the fault of another driver, call our Virginia Beach car accident injury lawyers at Cooper Hurley at 757.455.0077 or see Cooperhurley.com