Auto wrecks, outages prevail as snowfall continues

Wednesday, Mar. 6 | By Mark Grandstaff

Wednesday's snowstorm has made Fauquier County's roads treacherous for motorists and busy for first responders.

"The biggest problem with I-66 has been in Fauquier County," said Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller.

At 8:35 a.m., state troopers encountered a west-bound tractor-trailer that had jackknifed near the 31 mile marker of Interstate 66. While no one was hurt, the truck blocked off all west-bound lanes of the highway. Police and firefighters worked for four hours to re-open the road, Geller said.

State police have dealt with at least 12 crashes on I-66 in Fauquier County, Geller said. No injuries were reported in any of those crashes.

Meanwhile, the power outage count has climbed to 10,136 customers in Fauquier County: 5,997 from Dominion Power, 3,116 from Rappahannock Electric Cooperative and 1,023 from Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative. All three companies have made pledges to restore power as swiftly as possible. Earlier in the day, Gov. Bob McDonnell declared a state of emergency in Virginia after the skies dumped more than a foot of snow in parts of the Commonwealth.

"In declaring a state of emergency, the governor authorizes state agencies to identify and position resources for quick response anywhere they are needed in Virginia," McDonnell said in a press release.

The National Guard, more than 10,000 emergency vehicles owned or hired by the Virginia Department of Transportation and about 335,000 tons of salt have been put to work to free Virginians from the snow, according to the release.

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