Three were killed Sunday in 17 separate wrecks involving 95 cars along Interstate 77, a highway that runs through the mountainous region of Virginia near the North Carolina border.
Another 25 were injured, Virginia State Police said, The Associated Press reports.
The road is known for its foggy areas — and since 1997, at least six massive pileups have occurred on that portion of highway, near the base of Fancy Gap Mountain, AP reports. But Sunday’s was by far the worst.
“This mountain is notorious for fog banks,” said Glen Sage of the American Red Cross office for the town of Galax, AP reports. “They have advance signs warning people. But the problem is, people are seeing well and suddenly they’re in a fog bank.”
Cars started wrecking about 1:15 p.m. on Sunday, AP reports. At the center of the wreck were eight vehicles, which had caught fire.
State police reported traffic on Sunday was backed up about eight miles. On Monday, the road was reopened.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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