January 1, Hundreds of Motorists Stranded on Major Insterstate Overnight

A severe winter storm left hundreds of Virginia motorists stranded on Interstate 95 overnight, with some vehicles still stuck on Tuesday afternoon.

Vehicles were stuck on parts of a 50-mile stretch of I-95 partly because of “disabled trucks” and road conditions from snow and ice, the Virginia Department of Transportation said.

Drivers detailed turning their engines on and off to maintain a balance between staying warm and conserving fuel and having to share food and supplies as crews attempted to clear the trucks.

One driver was Jim DeFede, a journalist driving home to Miami to visit with family. DeFede said he was stuck for 18 hours, adding that he’d heard reports there weren’t any deaths or injuries.

“That’s great. But that’s just — that’s just dumb luck at this point,” DeFede said. “This could have been a lot more serious.”

Among those stranded in the area was Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), who said he was stuck in traffic until 8:30 on Tuesday morning — 21 hours after his trip began.

“I started my normal 2 hour drive to DC at 1pm yesterday. 19 hours later, I’m still not near the Capitol,” Kaine tweeted, alongside a picture from behind a windshield, showing three trucks ahead.

According to AP, a transportation department spokesperson “apologized to motorists and said the department would take an ‘exhaustive look’ at the incident.”

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Stranded drivers endure frigid night on impassable highway