Two Virginia State Police troopers have been struck due to vehicles losing control on Virginia’s slick highways. Since the Governor of Virginia declared a State of Emergency Saturday (Dec. 8), Virginians have been advised to avoid travel during the storm. Yet, Virginia State Police have responded statewide to more than a thousand traffic crashes and just shy of 1,150 disabled/stuck vehicles between 12:01 a.m. Sunday and 10 p.m Sunday (Dec. 9, 2018).
At 6:44 p.m. Sunday, a vehicle traveling north on Interstate 81 lost control at the 94 mile marker in Pulaski County and slammed into a trooper and his patrol vehicle. The trooper was seated inside his patrol car at the time of the crash. Fortunately, the trooper was not injured nor was the driver of the out-of-control vehicle.
On Sunday at approximately, 7:11 p.m., a Virginia State Police Trooper was stopped with his emergency equipment activated assisting a disabled vehicle on the left hand shoulder of southbound I-95, at the 89.6 mile marker in Hanover County. A 2003 GMC Yukon traveling southbound lost control and struck the trooper’s vehicle in the rear. The trooper was sitting inside of his vehicle at the time of impact sustaining minor injuries and was transported to the hospital. No other injuries were reported.
This is why the Virginia State Police is still advising folks to delay travel unless absolutely necessary. The highways are still slick and snow-covered. As the temperatures drop overnight, roadways will freeze and turn even more dangerous.
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Chris Graham
