Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, November 29, 1993 TAG: 9311290107
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"It has been hectic, to say the least," said state Trooper Jack Wise.
Wise, who patrolled Botetourt County on Sunday, estimated there were at least a dozen accidents in the afternoon and evening.
"Almost all of the accidents were on the interstate [I-81]. Most were multiple-car accidents, a few had injuries . . . " he said.
Wise said each accident meant miles of cars caught in the backup.
"With this many cars, it doesn't take much to bring traffic to a standstill," he said.
Where did all these cars come from?
Many were holiday travelers, returning from Thanksgiving celebrations. Add college students heading back to school after Thanksgiving break and you have a real mess.
"A majority of the backups were in the southbound lane [of I-81], with students heading back to Virginia Tech, Radford University and East Tennessee State. But there were also problems going north with students heading to James Madison University and all those other schools north of here," Wise said.
Returning students were less of a problem for state Patrol Sgt. Don Orfield, who worked farther south in Wythe County.
"We've had a few minor bump-ups, but for the most part traffic has run smooth," he said.
Like state police elsewhere, Wythe took precautions for extra cars on the road.
"We have all available manpower on duty, and message boards to guide people who need to exit on I-77, so it hasn't been too bad," Orfield said.
But for other exhausted state troopers, Sunday was a day to remember.
"I think it gets a little worse every year," Wise said. " Just a little more crowded every year."
by CNB