IT’S CRUSH HOUR
69-car collision injures dozens
A chain-reaction crash on a major interstate in Virginia Sunday caused a 69-car pileup and injured dozens of people, according to state police.
Dramatic photos showed beat-up vehicles with crumpled car hoods and smashed windows jammed together, leaving the freeway looking more like a junkyard.
The pileup happened just before 8 a.m. on westbound Interstate 64 in York County, Virginia State Police Sgt. Michelle Anaya said during an afternoon press conference.
Fifty one people were treated or taken to hospitals but no one had died as of Sunday afternoon, Anaya said.
“It could have been far worse and luckily there are no confirmed fatalities,” Anaya said.
Earlier, York County Fire Chief Stephen Kopczynski said two people were critically injured but were expected to survive, and 11 were being treated for serious injuries.
State police don’t know the exact cause of the mass-collision, but say ice and heavy fog were contributing factors. An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
Driver Ivan Levy said he and his wife, Alena Levy, were in separate cars when he saw thick fog and slowed down and turned on his hazard lights.
“Next thing I know I see cars just start piling up on top of each other,” he said.
He then ran out to help his wife — before grabbing a medical kit to help other victims.
“It was just so scary,” said Alena, who was checked out at a hospital but not seriously injured.
Shortly after the wreck, another eight-vehicle pileup happened in the eastbound lanes, prompting cops to close the entire freeway for hours.
Westbound lanes didn’t reopen until around 4:30 p.m.