Posted on 03/31/2013 7:21:38 PM PDT by goldstategop
They said there were 17 separate crashes within a distance of one mile (1.6km) on Interstate 77 near the base of Fancy Gap Mountain.
The accidents began shortly after 13:00 local time (17:00 GMT) on Sunday, when there was heavy fog in the area.
It was reportedly the most deadly of several similar pile-ups since 1997.
Queues of traffic in southbound lanes near the scene of the crashes stretched for eight miles, police said.
"This mountain is notorious for fog banks," said Glen Sage of the American Red Cross office in the town of Galax.
"They have advance signs warning people. But the problem is, people are seeing well and suddenly they're in a fog bank."
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
Nothing good ever comes from Fancy Gap Mountain.
“... if it goes where you want to go.”
We live a mile from I-81. It has been there since the early ‘60s and it hasn’t moved an inch in all that time. It does gain an inch or two in altitude every 10 or so years whenever NYDOT deigns to spend a buck on fly-over country. ;>) sd
If you suddenly enter fog, a good move (besides slowing down, of course) would be to activate the panic button on your key/key fob. Noise and flashing lights increase awareness of your presence to other drivers. But, DON’T STOP unless you can get well off the roadway in a safe location. And you have to look out for the moron ahead who panic stopped in the middle as well.
I'm forever grateful to the cops on-scene. They did a fantastic job of distracting my kids - on the opposite side of the car from the accident - so that they didn't get an eyeful.
It's an odd-shaped mountain with a circular "hump" on the eastern side.
I believe it's part of Pilot Mountain State park.
Pilot Mountain is nowhere near the I-77 accident.
Pilot Mountain is off US 52, well south of the VA line.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilot_Mountain_%28North_Carolina%29
As you descend I-77 after Mt. Airy and Galax exits, there are views of Pilot Mountain to the South (SouthEast).
CC
A source you can trust....Fox News link to the story...
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/03/31/3-killed-in-75-car-pileup-on-virginia-highway/?test=latestnews
Eeeeh, my head hurts.
Yep, I’ve driven it several times. The view is spectacular but it’s a steep descent and the view can also be pretty distracting. When it’s clear, Fancy Gap is gorgeous, but when it’s not...
}:-)4
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