Virginia State Police Respond To Hundreds Of Winter Storm-Related Crashes

VIRGINIA — The Virginia State Police had responded to more than 2,000 calls for service as of 3:30 p.m. on Monday due to the treacherous conditions on the state's roads from the season's first snowstorm.

No fatalities have been reported so far since the start of the winter storm. The majority of the crashes involved damage to vehicles.

By midafternoon Monday, the total number of traffic crashes had increased to more than 600 and an equal number of disabled/stuck vehicles, according to the state police.

The Richmond division of the Virginia State Police had reported the most crashes and disabled vehicles — 134 and 207, respectively — between midnight and 3:30 p.m. Monday.

In Northern Virginia, state troopers had responded to 68 traffic crashes and 143 disabled vehicles by 3:30 p.m. in the agency’s Fairfax division.

As of 3:30 p.m., Virginia state troopers were responding to 72 active traffic crashes across the state.

SEE ALSO: I-95 Southbound Shut Down For Crash Involving 6 Tractor-Trailers

Police said the traffic crashes and disabled vehicles were caused by motorists driving too fast for conditions, and asked people to avoid driving unless absolutely necessary.

"Even though the sun has been gradually making its return across parts of western and central Virginia this afternoon, the regions around/north of Staunton, Charlottesville and Fredericksburg continue to deal with treacherous road conditions," the state police said.

The Virginia State Police is asking people to avoid driving, unless absolutely unnecessary. With temperatures forecast to drop into the teens, anything snow that has melted during the day will freeze overnight and cause extremely dangerous, icy road conditions.

By late morning on Monday, state police were still on the scene of a jackknifed tractor-trailer blocking the westbound lanes on Interstate 64 in Goochland County. There were no injuries. The tractor-trailer was hauling 18,000 pounds of plastic furniture, the state police said.

A crash involving six tractor-trailers shut down Interstate 95's southbound lanes in Stafford County on Monday afternoon, the Virginia Department of Transportation said. The crash occurred near exit 136 at Centreport Parkway.

In other regions of the state, from 12:01 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Monday, the Virginia State Police had responded to:

• Culpeper Division: 57 disabled vehicles and 25 traffic crashes.
• Appomattox Division: 104 disabled vehicles and 97 traffic crashes.
• Wytheville Division: 74 disabled vehicles and 49 traffic crashes.
• Chesapeake Division: 21 disabled vehicles and 96 traffic crashes.
• Salem Division: 116 disabled vehicles and 111 traffic crashes.

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