CARROLL COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) - All lanes on Interstate 77 in Southwest Virginia reopened after a 95-vehicle pileup Sunday. Three people were killed and 25 injured in the crash near the North Carolina state line. The investigation revealed there were 17 separate crashes.
Virginia State Police identified the victims as William M. Sosebee, 33, of Allen, Ky.; Kathern Worley, 71, of Iron Station, N.C., and Andrew Katbi, 24, of Delphos, Ohio.
State police said a series of wrecks began around 1:15 p.m. Sunday in the southbound lanes in the area of Fancy Gap Mountain in southwest Virginia. There was heavy fog at the time.
The southbound and northbound lanes of I-77 were closed at the 6 mile marker. Traffic backups are reported to be reopen at any time.
The names of the victims have not been released.
“There was an incident up in the front, whether it was another accident or another driver stopped… then the other drivers couldn’t stop in time,” said Sgt. Michael Conroy with the Virgina State Police
Drivers said they could barely see anything at all when the chain reaction collisions started.
“Cars just started hitting each other… all you could hear was bam bam bam,” Charlotte resident Linda Alexander. “All you could hear was explosions.”
Authorities said the victims were taken to various hospitals including Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
Emergency crews said they spent hours clearing the scene.
“The majority of these accidents were caused by people going too fast for the conditions,” Conroy said.
