Wrecks back up traffic for 13 miles

Just moments and feet apart, two accidents involving three vehicles and three tractor-trailers backed up traffic for 13 miles on Interstate 81 on Sunday afternoon, creating a “nightmare” that pushed some drivers to evasive maneuvers.

At about 12:30 p.m., rescue crews and Virginia State Police responded to I-81 at mile marker 234, south of the Weyers Cave exit, for reports of two accidents.

The first involved three vehicles and a tractor-trailer, and blocked the left lane of northbound traffic, state police said. At least one person was taken away by ambulance, but additional details were not available Sunday.

In the right lane, a tractor-trailer that came to a stop for the first collision was hit from behind by a second tractor-trailer, said Trooper C.J. Szupinka. The driver who failed to stop, Ronny E. Hall, of Troy, Ala., was charged with reckless driving. Neither driver reported injuries, Szupinka said.

Authorities reported at least two other vehicles that drove off the highway to avoid further crashes.

What ensued was a traffic “nightmare,” said Cpl. Michael Roane, of the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office.

Roane and deputies responded for traffic control, as dozens of drivers chose to cut across medians, turn around in maintenance cut-throughs and back down entrance ramps.

“[Drivers] were hitting just about every crossover, and in particular crossing the median at about the 230 marker,” Roane said. “They were actually crossing the grass median ... at least dozens of cars based on the tracks. ... They tore up the grass pretty good.”

At least one driver was charged with trying to avoid accident traffic, Roane said.