Icy roads led to serious crashes on highways in the Mid-Atlantic region Sunday, including five tractor trailers that were involved in separate crashes on one stretch of I-81 in Maryland.
In Virginia, the crashes weren't as large, but they were numerous, reported News4's David Culver.
The I-81 pileup happened at about 11:30 a.m. on I-81 outside Hagerstown, near the Salem Avenue exit. Five tractor-trailers hit icy patches and were involved in a series of separate crashes.
Then, 10 to 15 passenger vehicles also crashed.
Some people were taken to the hospital as a precaution, and the accident closed the interstate until about 4:30 p.m. Even after that, only one lane in each direction was open.
A Prince William County police officer was taken to an area hospital after his cruiser spun out on an icy patch on Sudley Road near Sudley Manor Drive in Manassas and struck a tree about 6 p.m. He was conscious and alert when he was put in an ambulance, News4's Derrick Ward reported.
The D.C. metro area did not report any major pileups, though streets were slick and in Virginia transportation officials urged drivers to stay off the roads.
Near Philadelphia, however, a chain reaction crash involving about 50 cars was apparently started by a motorist who had been involved in a minor crash and got out of his car to investigate.
The multi-car crash closed the westbound lanes of the Pennsylvania Turnpike from Downingtown to Morgantown.
