PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, Va. -- One person was ejected from a vehicle involved in a crash Tuesday morning on Interstate 95 south at Crater Road (exit 45).
The impact of the SUV hitting several trees was so severe that a passenger in the rear of the Honda CRV was thrown through the front windshield.
Virginia State Police say that passenger was not wearing a seat belt and had to be flown by medical helicopter to VCU Medical Center with serious injuries.
The south right lane and right shoulder remained closed at 12:40 p.m. and traffic was backed up more than two miles.
The driver of the Honda veered from the right lane, according to State Police, and struck the rear of a tractor-trailer. It then ran off the road.
While the official start for tracking traffic during this holiday season begins Wednesday, local law enforcement says traffic was heavy on Tuesday.
AAA says 1.2 million Virginians will travel more than 50 miles from their home during Thanksgiving.
Distracted drivers and not wearing seat belts are concerns for many who are traveling.
"I do see a lot of people using their cell phones and talking while driving, I do see a lot of that," says Steven Orot.
Karina Orot says the distraction of using a cell phone leads to a bigger problem for other drivers.
"You see them swerving in and out of lanes, things like that," she says.
The driver of the SUV, from Jamaica, New York, was charged with reckless driving.
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