GALAX, Va. — Nearly 100 vehicles crashed Sunday along a mountainous,
foggy stretch of interstate near the Virginia-North Carolina border,
killing three people and injuring 25 others.
Police said traffic along Interstate 77 in southwest Virginia backed
up for about 8 miles in the southbound lanes after the accidents.
Authorities closed the northbound lanes so that fire trucks, ambulances
and police could get to the series of chain-reaction wrecks.
Virginia State Police determined there were 17 separate
crashes involving 95 vehicles within a mile span near the base of Fancy
Gap Mountain, spokeswoman Corinne Geller said. The crashes began around
1:15 p.m. Sunday when there was heavy fog in the area.
"This mountain is notorious for fog banks. They have advance signs
warning people. But the problem is, people are seeing well and suddenly
they're in a fog bank," said Glen Sage of the American Red Cross office
in the town of Galax.
Since 1997, there have been at least six such pileups on the mountain
but Sunday's crash was the most deadly, according to The Roanoke Times.
Two people died in crashes involving dozens of vehicles in both 2000
and 2010.
Overhead message boards warned drivers since about 6 a.m. Sunday to
slow down because of the severe fog, Geller said. The crashes were
mostly caused by drivers going too fast for conditions.
