Hundreds of motorists have been stuck on Virginia's I-95 for up to 15 hours after a massive snowstorm shut down the highway, stranding many in icy conditions without food or water.
Motorists are stuck on I-95 in Northern Virginia. In this photo provided by WJLA, a person poses.
The Associated Press.
The 50 mile stretch of traffic between Ruther Glen in Caroline County and the town of Dumfries in Prince William County was halted on Monday after a crash involving six tractor-trailers.
The Virginia Department of Transportation's engineer described the situation as "unprecedented" and said that some motorists had been stuck since Monday morning.
The agency was working to clear snow, de-ice the roads and help trapped drivers.
Emergency personnel were clearing downed trees, assisting stuck vehicles and reassigning others.
Many in the gridlock took to social media to share the conditions, including some who expressed concern about their medical needs and the freezing temperatures.
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The senator from Virginia was stuck in the traffic for 19 hours.
Five. There have been deaths reported in three states because of the winter storm: Georgia, Maryland and Tennessee.
The key background.
Hundreds of thousands of people were without power in the Washington D.C. area as of Tuesday, and 400,000 customers from Georgia to Maryland were without power.
The drivers were snowed in all night as I-95 was shut down.
Drivers are stuck on a 50-mile stretch of I-95 due to snow and ice.
Motorists are stuck for hours after a winter storm.
Thousands of people without power as winter storm hits Southeast.
