Tons of of motorists in Virginia this morning wakened inside their automobiles in freezing temperatures, as snowy circumstances left them trapped on freeway I-95 for greater than 19 hours.

The drivers have been left stranded alongside the interstate following greater than 14-inches of snowfall that led to a six truck pileup. Among the many trapped motorists was U.S. Senator for Virginia, Tim Kaine.

“I began my regular 2 hour drive to DC at 1pm yesterday,” he wrote on Twitter. “19 hours later, I’m nonetheless not close to the Capitol. My workplace is in contact with VaDOT to see how we may help different Virginians on this state of affairs. Please keep protected everybody.”

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I began my regular 2 hour drive to DC at 1pm yesterday. 19 hours later, I’m nonetheless not close to the Capitol. My workplace is in contact with @VaDOT to see how we may help different Virginians on this state of affairs. Please keep protected everybody. pic.twitter.com/Sz1b1hZJZ5

— Tim Kaine (@timkaine) January 4, 2022

One other driver, Anne Gould, informed NBC Washington that she had develop into caught on Monday afternoon and that by Tuesday at round 6:20 am, she had solely moved ahead by a number of automobile lengths.

By 7 am Tuesday, the automobiles have been nonetheless caught and the Virginia Division of Transportation confirmed that each instructions of I-95 have been shut down between Ruther Glen, in Caroline County, and Dumfries, in Prince William County, which quantities to a 48 mile (77 km) closure.

That is precisely why we have been asking solely those that HAVE to journey to be on the roads right now within the midst of the storm. #VSP troopers, wrecker companies, and #VDOT crews are responding as rapidly as we will to the a number of caught/disabled autos on I-95 on the #rappahannockriver. https://t.co/1oeG5SKYuL

— VA State Police (@VSPPIO) January 3, 2022

Virginia State Police mentioned that the closures have been enacted to permit crews to soundly attain stranded motorists, a lot of whom have run out of gasoline and provides following the lengthy stoppage. Happily, the police mentioned that there have been no deaths and few accidents, although it advises anybody in want of pressing medical care to name 911.

“That is unprecedented, and we proceed to steadily transfer stopped vehicles to make progress towards restoring lanes,” mentioned Marcie Parker, VDOT Fredericksburg District Engineer, in a press release. “Along with clearing the vehicles, we’re treating for snow and several other inches of ice that has amassed round them to make sure that when the lanes reopen, motorists can safely proceed to their vacation spot.”