Hundreds stranded all night on snowy highway in Virginia

By SARAH RANKIN and MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Hundreds of motorists are waiting desperately for help after being stranded all night in freezing temperatures along a 50-mile stretch of highway south of the nation’s capital. Police say that part of Interstate 95 became impassable when tractor-trailers jackknifed in a winter storm. The disabled trucks triggered a chain reaction as other vehicles lost control and blocked lanes in both directions of the main north-south highway along the East Coast. As hours passed and night fell, motorists posted messages on social media about running out of fuel, food and water. By Tuesday morning, a single lane of traffic was creeping forward between many stalled trucks and cars in one direction.