Sen. Tim Kaine spent 27 hours in car as winter storm stranded hundreds along I-95
By Kelli Dugan, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, was among hundreds of motorists stranded on Interstate 95 as a winter storm pummeled the mid-Atlantic states, bringing traffic to a standstill.
Kaine, who lives in Richmond, arrived to the Capitol late Tuesday afternoon after spending 27 hours in his car for a commute that typically takes the congressman two hours.
Drivers along the 50-mile stretch spent the night trapped in freezing temperatures after a crash involving multiple vehicles snarled traffic just as the season’s first winter storm dumped more than a foot of snow on the region, NBC News reported.
A spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Transportation confirmed to The Associated Press just before 6 p.m. Tuesday that there are no longer any motorists stranded on the now-closed portion of I-95.
Meanwhile, Corinne Geller, public relations manager for Virginia State Police, confirmed to WTOP that there have been no traffic-related injuries or deaths linked to the I-95 emergency.
One of the biggest obstacles first responders faced in rescuing stranded motorists was the sheer number of vehicles, including large tractor-trailers, that ran out of fuel while being stuck on the highway.
“They’re either stuck in the snow or in a ditch, so that requires a tow truck — lots of tow trucks — to get those vehicles out,” Marcie Parker, district engineer with the Virginia Department of Transportation told reporters Tuesday morning, according to WTOP..