THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 1, 1996 TAG: 9602010306
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 120 lines
A five-vehicle pileup that snarled westbound traffic in a construction zone on Interstate 264 for nearly two hours Wednesday was the latest in what state police say is a marked increase in serious accidents.
Three people have died and one man lost part of a leg since Dec. 19 in accidents involving disabled vehicles on interstate highways.
Two multicar pileups have occurred this week along I-264 near Military Highway, where nearly 120,000 vehicles pass each day through traffic lanes that are a foot narrower while construction for an HOV roadway is under way.
``This month alone there's just too many incidents not to take notice,'' said state police spokeswoman Tammy Van Dame on Wednesday.
While wintry weather has been a factor, Van Dame said some of the accidents were caused by disabled vehicles.
Driver inattention, especially in the construction area on I-264 between the Military Highway interchange and Brambleton Avenue, also has been a problem, Van Dame said.
Work on the HOV lanes is expected to last until the summer of 1998.
The stretch of I-264 under construction has been the site of several accidents this week.
During the Tuesday-morning rush hour, a car that ran out of gas caused a six-vehicle collision in nearly the same area as Wednesday's accident. One man was injured.
Tuesday night, several cars were wrecked just east of the Ballentine Boulevard exit after a car had a flat tire. No one was seriously injured, police said.
``These weren't major accidents, but they occurred during inopportune times,'' Van Dame said. ``They made for a traffic nightmare.''
Drivers along I-264 have had to adjust to a shift in traffic patterns, said Bob Spieldenner, a spokesman for the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Traffic lanes that were 12 feet wide have been narrowed to 11 feet, and the recently erected concrete barriers - called Jersey walls - have made the road seem even more cramped.
The addition of the Jersey walls has eliminated large portions of the roadway's outside-lane shoulders, leaving little room for drivers to maneuver. Several openings in the concrete barriers, which construction vehicles use to drive through, can be used as emergency pull-off zones.
``It's very confining,'' Spieldenner said. ``Whereas before you would have a shoulder.''
Drivers tend to ignore the construction signs and speed through, or they overcompensate for the narrow lanes and drive too slowly, Van Dame said.
``It's a fatal accident waiting to happen if people do not pay attention,'' she said.
The serious accidents cited by Van Dame include:
Matthew Lauther of Pennsylvania was changing a tire on the shoulder of Interstate 64 near 4th View Street Friday when he was hit by a car that veered into him and severed his left leg below the knee.
On Jan. 17, Joyce B. Rodriquez was killed on the high-rise bridge on I-64 in Chesapeake when she ran into the back of a stalled tractor-trailer carrying steel bars. Rodriquez drove her rental truck into the steel bars that protruded from the rear of the tractor-trailer.
On Jan. 4, a woman died on Route 44 near Laskin Road in Virginia Beach after a five-car, chain-reaction collision pushed her car into a concrete traffic barrier, where it burst into flames. Three other people were slightly injured.
On Dec. 19, Benjamin J. Beckstine, 21, was changing a tire on Interstate 564 West in Norfolk when another vehicle struck his truck, pinning him between his pickup and the guard rail. He was killed.
Wednesday's five-vehicle accident occurred just before noon. Van Dame gave this account of the wreck:
A 1983 GMC van was towing a 1987 Dodge van just east of Broad Creek when a vehicle in front of the van slowed. The van's driver, Reginald A. Garner, attempted to stop but lost control of both vans, sideswiped another eastbound vehicle, crossed the median into the westbound lanes, and slammed a 1996 Mazda into the Jersey wall.
Two other vehicles - including a 1986 Honda - traveling west were unable to stop and struck the Dodge.
The driver of the Mazda, Larry Maddry, 62, was pinned inside the car and was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.
Maddry, a feature columnist for The Virginian-Pilot, suffered a broken rib and numerous facial cuts and needed a neck brace.
Garner, 40, suffered facial injuries. He was charged with failure to wear a safety belt, not having a valid safety inspection, driving with a suspended license, having defective equipment and reckless driving.
The driver of the Honda, Mary Ellen Lamer, 25, of Virginia Beach, was taken to DePaul Medical Center in Norfolk to be treated for minor injuries.
Two westbound lanes were closed for 90 minutes after the accidents, leaving only one lane open. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
BILL TIERNAN
The Virginian-Pilot
Concrete construction barriers will be in place on the right
shoulder of westbound Interstate 264 while crews work on HOV lanes.
The barriers have narrowed lanes from 12 to 11 feet and limit the
number of places motorists can pull off the road for emergencies.
DRIVING TIPS
State police offered these tips for motorists:
If your car becomes disabled, pull over to the nearest shoulder
or grassy area. Avoid stopping in a traffic lane. The Interstate 264
construction area has several openings in the Jersey walls for
construction vehicles; those can be used for emergency pull-off
zones.
If your car becomes disabled, stand behind a guard rail or buckle
yourself and passengers inside the car and wait for help.
If you have to fix your car, be extremely careful. Keep
reflective emergency equipment and gear in the vehicle.
Other drivers who see disabled vehicles should call from a
cellular or nearby pay phone instead of stopping on the road to
help.
Keep vehicles in good working order - check tires and gas levels
before driving, especially on highways.
Keep a few car-lengths of distance between vehicles.
Be especially attentive during dawn and dusk hours.
- Larry W. Brown
KEYWORDS: ACCIDENT TRAFFIC INJURIES RECKLESS DRIVING by CNB