95-Car Pileup Kills 3, Injures 25 On I-77 In Virginia

[News_Editor]

<p>HILLSVILLE, VIRGINIA (BNO NEWS) -- Three people were killed Sunday and dozens more were injured in a series of chain-reaction crashes on Interstate 77 near the Virginia and North Carolina state line, authorities said on Monday. Nearly 100 vehicles were involved in the crashes.

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<p>A total of 17 accidents occurred at around 1:15 p.m. local time at the 6 mile marker on I-77 in Carroll County, Virginia, approximately six miles (9.6 kilometers) north of the Virginia-North Carolina border. State police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said 95 vehicles were involved in the crashes, which happened within the span of 1 mile (1.6 kilometer).

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<p>"All occurred in the southbound lanes of I-77 towards the base of Fancy Gap Mountain," Geller said. "At the 'epicenter' of the crashes was a 6 to 8 vehicle crash in which the vehicles caught fire. There are three confirmed fatalities as a result of the crashes. Approximately 25 other individuals were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment of injuries ranging from serious to minor."

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<p>State police said the main cause of the crashes were motorists who were traveling too fast for severe fog conditions. Overhead message boards along I-77 had been advising motorists all day to slow their speed due to the heavy fog, which affected large parts of the Fancy Gap Mountain area.

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<p>Motorists who were uninjured and whose vehicles were too damaged to drive away were transported by Carroll County public school buses to nearby hotels and other locations for shelter overnight. "State Police are still in the process of identifying the deceased and notifying next of kin," Geller said.

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