People were out and about on Sunday, December 22, 2019, near Williamsburg, Virginia, doing thing like attending church and holiday shopping. All of that came to a literally crashing end just after 8:00 in the morning when a catastrophic multi-car accident occurred on Interstate 64 in York County.
Involving 69 vehicles, the massive accident scene took a good part of the day to clean up. The interstate did finally open later in the day. In the immediate aftermath of the virtually unimaginable collision, the interstate was littered with mangled metal and broken glass. A large truck overturned and ended up on the top of a passenger automobile.
51 people were transported to area hospitals for treatment. About a dozen of these individuals were listed in serious condition and two people were in critical condition as the day progressed. All hospitalized individuals are expected to recover. As of Monday morning, the day after the mammoth Virginia interstate accident, no fatalities had been reported.
Investigators were at the scene of the pileup directly after the accident and worked throughout the day. As of day’s end, local and state officials had yet to ascertain the immediate cause of the accident. They did make mention that ice and fog contributed to the massive collision.
The Virginia interstate accident illustrates the reality that multiple factors can come into play when an automobile accident occurs. In addition, more than one party can be determined legally responsible for causing a serious car accident.
Not long after the 69 car pileup on Interstate 64, a second multi-vehicle accident occurred across the medium in the opposite direction. Eight cars were involved in the second accident. Officially, investigators had not determined the specific cause or causes of the eight car accident. With that said, there is some indication that distracted driving played at least some role in this second incident. A motorist or motorists very well may have been distracted by the huge collision involving over five dozen vehicles.
Motorists involved in the initial pileup noted that the fog may have caught some drivers off guard if they were even slightly distracted from the immediate task of motoring. The fog “seemed to come out of nowhere” and was surprisingly thick. In addition, there were slick spots on the highway the morning of the accident.
The state of the weather and road conditions has led to some reasonable speculation that two primary factors may have contributed to the large accident. First, distracted driving is a likely contributing factor. Second, it is also a real possibility that a motorist or motorists were driving in excess of what weather or other prevailing conditions reasonably permitted.
Investigators have announced no timeframe in which they believe the investigation will be complete. Federal investigators may also be brought into the process to ensure that the clearest picture of the causes of the accident is obtained.
Investigators strive to ascertain the cause of roadway accidents. Nonetheless, a person injured in a car accident – including a multi-car collision like the Virginia car pileup – best protects his or her legal rights by taking a proactive approach to retaining the services of an automobile accident lawyer like a member of The Doan Law Firm legal team. A person injured in a car accident can connect with a skilled automobile accident lawyer any time of the day or night by calling (800) 349-0000.
By scheduling an initial consultation and case evaluation directly after a car accident, an injured person best ensures that the cause or causes of an accident are fully evaluated. In other words, any responsible party is appropriately identified.
There is no charge for an initial consultation with an automobile accident lawyer at The Doan Law Firm. A nationwide law practice, The Doan Law Firm can schedule an appointment at any one of its offices from coast to coast. In the alternative, a virtual appointment with a car accident lawyer can be arranged as well via the internet.
The Doan Law Firm makes an attorney fee promise to all clients. The firm never charges an attorney fee unless a car accident lawyer obtains a favorable settlement or judgment for a client.