According to traffic reports from Virgina and North Carolina, Easter weekend turned grim for over 100 people. Accordingly, there was dense fog on Interstate 77 near th
e boarder of Virginia and North Carolina. Many people had been travelling to see their families over the holiday weekend, and got caught up in the traffic.
Subsequently, as the traffic got worse, so did the fog that was consuming visibility for nearly 10 miles. Travellers were forced to slow down below the speed limit, which contributed to the congested traffic.
News reports specifically state that the 95-car pile up began around 1:00 p.m. on Easter Sunday that involved over 125 people. The weather was the ultimate source of the tremendous accident.
Accordingly, a thick fog essentially blanketed the south-bound lanes on Interstate 77, at the base of Fancy Gap Mountain. The location is a mere 6 miles from the North Carolina boarder. It is safe to assume that there were both Virginians and North Carolinians involved in the accident, and likely other state citizens as well.
The initial accident that led to this disaster only involved eight vehicles. Thereafter, 16 other accidents occurred. The cars just continued to pile up, one after another until there were 95 vehicles involved in the accident.
This is one of the three largest accidents that Interstate 77 has seen since it was initially graded.
The News reports that this specific stretch of the Interstate is notorious for it’s dense fog. Thus, it is not ironic that in 2010, this very same stretch of the interstate was bombarded with accidents when a similar incident occurred involving 75 vehicles. In that accident, many were injured but only two people lost their lives.
Similarly, in this exact same location in the year 2000, a 65 car-pileup occurred, resulting in two deaths as well.
Lastly, in the accident at bar, only three people were killed, but over 30 were injured. The injuries are both major and minor, as the EMTs had their hands full checking each and every car and victim. Some were rushed immediately to the nearest hospital, while others were just “checked out” and then sent home.
Interstate 77 was subsequently closed for the rest of the day and well into Monday morning.
It stands to reason that since there is nothing that can be done to prevent fog from clouding up driver’s visibility, drivers should take extra precaution when travelling this particular stretch. Always turn your lights on when visibility is low, and slow down if there is inclement weather. Use your blinkers and be respectful of other drivers on the road. Lastly, take into account that there are more drivers on the roadways during the holidays and thus, a greater chance for an accident to occur. Be smart. Be safe.
Any type of serious injury can bring harm to the victim and his/her loved ones. One may have an action to recover damages for injuries sustained during an accident. Contact the law offices of Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower,LLP to consult with one of our personal injury attorneys. Our personal injury attorneys understand the emotional and financial hardships facing persons injured in an accident and want to help you or someone you might know. We are licensed in both North and South Carolina, where you can contact us at 704-499-9000 or 877-374-5999 toll-free.