Multiple crashes caused severe delays in the D.C. area on one of the busiest travel days of the year.
Traffic was delayed on both the Inner Loop and Outer Loop of the Capital Beltway earlier Wednesday after at least two crashes, according to the Metropolitan Area Transportation Operations Coordination.
The Outer Loop was temporarily closed near the American Legion Bridge after a box truck crashed onto two cars. Traffic backed up for nearly 10 miles.
A first crash involving two box trucks and three other vehicles left traffic at a standstill near the American Legion Bridge just after 7:45 a.m. Police said the driver of the box truck was traveling along the Outer Loop when traffic came to an abrupt stop.
The driver was unable to stop in time and struck a smaller box truck and then overturned. That truck landed on top of two cars.
Two people suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Quinn Burroughs was on his way to work when the truck crashed onto his BMW, crushing it. He told News4 he thought he might die when he saw the truck start to fall.
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"It's a big box truck getting ready to fall on me. I mean, I don't know how many people you can talk to, that, can say 'Yeah, I got hit by a box truck that fell on top of my car,'" Burroughs said.
Burroughs walked away without a scratch.
His wife, Cindy Burroughs, said she believes her husband was being watched over.
"I believe - we have people close to us that we've lost, I believe they were with him. And I just believed that they knew that we needed Quinn here. I needed Quinn here with me and there were two angels that just said it wasn't his day," Cindy Burroughs said.
"Got all my family here. My parents coming down and it's going to be a good holiday," Quinn Burroughs said.
The Outer Loop was closed for a short time, and police slowly reopened lanes. The driver of the larger box truck was charged with negligent driving, operating on a suspended license and several other charges.
A second crash occurred near Georgetown Pike about 11:30 a.m. Police said it involved two vehicles. No one was reported to be injured.
Chopper4 hovered over the scene as vehicles lined the roadway for miles.
Thousands of people are expected to hit the roads Wednesday to head to their Thanksgiving destinations.
Stay with News4 on-air and online for more on this developing story.
