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Virginia National Guard Activated To Assist Drivers Stranded on I-95

Snow, snow, snow remains the topic of the week already as the East Coast endures winter weather. Thousands of flights saw cancelations between Sunday and Monday along the coast. Simultaneously, states as far south as Florida saw significant accumulations for the first time in years. Now, as Virginia continues to endure winter weather, the state’s National Guard has been activated to assist stranded drivers on I-95.

However, despite the Guard’s good intentions, it appears many Virginians believe their action wasn’t called on soon enough. Current Governor Ralph Northam saw major backlash as drivers remained stranded on a 50-mile stretch of closed highway for hours. Some waited as long as 27 hours before finally seeing rescue.

Temperatures through the night plummeted below freezing, and drivers were left without gas, food, and water for much too long. Due to the governor’s delay in action, many took to social media to blast the politician. Several even called Northam “an embarrassment of a governor” and a “fool” as Virginians were left freezing on I-95.

Drivers Trapped Overnight Among Vehicle Pile-Ups

According to the Daily Mail, it wasn’t until about noon on Tuesday that temperatures finally rose above freezing, and ice began to thaw. Nevertheless, hundreds of travelers still required rescue as emergency personnel finally arrived.

NBC‘s Joe Scarborough heightened the sense of urgency with his Tweet that read, “We have to find a way to get national guard down here. Diabetics and babies down here. People are going to die here.”

As if the snow and ice weren’t enough, pileups and jackknifed trailers contributed to the chaos on I-95. According to the outlet, traffic became further trapped and entangled after a six-car crash Monday. Additionally, six tractor-trailers jackknifed as the storm ensued, completely blocking the road and causing an unavoidable chain reaction.

Tuesday afternoon finally saw VA traffic moving steadily after the mass wrecks.

Motorists Share Perspectives from Virginia’s I-95

VA’s governor received major heat from trapped motorists. Simultaneously, those stranded on I-95 shared footage and statements from ground zero speaking to the reality of the situation.

From previous reports we know many of the stranded drivers possessed little gas, no food, and no water. However, one kind motorist shared a TikTok revealing she and her companions had shared most of the groceries they had with them with others stuck on the highway.

@melliinnaaaa

We were only a mile away from our exit too…

♬ original sound – Melina

Other stranded drivers saw good samaritans passing out bread and other provisions on the road.

Jim DeFede, who shared the above two clips, detailed that I-95 had become so impassable that neither state troopers nor tow trucks were able to get through for more than 12 hours.

Altogether, it’s a situation we wouldn’t wish on anyone. We hope all those previously trapped were able to finally see their way forward in their travels.