Wreck blocks southbound Interstate 95 in Spotsylvania

Wreck blocks southbound Interstate 95 in Spotsylvania

icy conditions led to a flurry of wrecks in the Fredericksburg area Saturday, the latest closing Interstate 95 southbound in Spotsylvania County.

The Virginia Department of Transportation reported the latest crash at 12:30 p.m., saying all southbound traffic was being diverted to U.S. 1 at Exit 126 in Spotsylvania. An earlier crash closed northbound lanes at Thornburg for more than an hour.

VDOT began advising drivers early Saturday morning to stay off the roads until conditions improved, but many ignored that warning, leading to a number of accidents.

Virginia State Police Sgt. Les Tyler said there had been serious injuries or fatalities reported as a result of the slippery road conditions in the Fredericksburg region. But several accidents closed northbound Interstate 95 northbound near Thornburg in Spotsylvania County for more than an hour this morning.

The accidents, according to Tyler, were five separate crashes all within a two-tenths of a mile area before 8 a.m. They involved three tractor-trailers and six passenger cars. Three people were transported with minor injuries, he said.

Drivers were detoured at Exit 118 and routed to U.S. 1 before returning to the interstate at Exit 126.
Stafford County briefly closed parts of U.S. 17 and Centreport Parkway this morning and Fredericksburg police reported numerous minor accidents.

VDOT said it had more than 175 trucks spreading sand and salt to melt ice and provide additional traction on state-maintained roads in the Fredericksburg area and Northern Neck.

Temperatures in the region climbed above freezing around noon and are expected to continue to rise through the day, melting away the ice.