The snowstorm that smacked the East Coast last week has created a nightmare for drivers. The Virginia State Police were exceedingly busy on Friday, responding to more than 1,000 car accidents on Virginia highways.
As the cold temperatures and the snow continued, authorities are asking people to stay off the highways. The wind is now causing drifting snow, which is piling up on many primary routes and interstates.
On Friday, Jan. 22, the VSP dispatch centers took 3,471 calls for service. The VSP responded to 1,032 car accidents and 879 disabled vehicles. The area with the most accidents was the Hampton Roads region with 339.
This snowstorm dumped as much as three feet of snow in some areas on the East Coast. So far, 18 people have died in ways related to the storm, such as in fatal motor vehicle accidents, heart attacks and more. Georgia had restored power to over 66,000 homes since Friday morning. Kentucky saw motorists on Interstate 75 south stuck overnight due to blowing snow and car accidents. Food, water and gas were passed out to those stranded.
In Maryland, residents experienced power outages, collapsing roofs and stuck emergency vehicles. New Jersey roads were blocked by stuck cars to the point where snowplows couldn’t get through. Flooding was also causing massive problems in Atlantic City and other areas nearby.
In New York, 25 inches of snow fell in Central Park, shows on Broadway were closed and many commuter trains, city buses and above-ground subway lines were closed. In North Carolina, about 150,000 lost power and six people had been killed in car accidents during the storm.
In Pennsylvania, several college buses carrying athletic participants were stuck on the Turnpike. The National Guard starting digging out those who were stuck on Saturday afternoon. In Nashville, Tennessee, it’s been almost 20 years since they have had this much snow.
In Washington, D.C.,, government offices closed early Friday, mass transit shut down and Times Square was vacant except for a few police cars and some individuals playing in the snow. In West Virginia, 200 motor vehicles — many of them semi-trucks — were stuck on Interstate 77.
As you can see, a storm this massive will have serious consequences. If you were injured in a car accident in the snow because of someone else’s negligence, you can seek compensation.
Source: wric.com, “VSP troopers respond to more than 500 crashes statewide Monday,” Emily Satchell, Feb. 15, 2016
