Two different commercial truck accidents took place on the Capital Beltway on Tuesday afternoon, December 4, 2012. One of the truck accidents resulted in a fatality, while both accidents snarled afternoon traffic.
The first accident took place in Fairfax County, Virginia, on the inner loop of the Beltway on a ramp from I-495 to Southbound I-95 near the Springfield Interchange at just before 2:30pm. In this Virginia truck crash, a tractor-trailer lost control and slammed into the barrier of the ramp, partially turning onto its side, and spilling debris off of the ramp and onto the beltway below.
No one was inured in the first crash, but the wreck closed the ramp (with the exception of the shoulder) and some lanes of I-495. Major backups occurred throughout the afternoon as police cleared the scene and investigated the cause of the one-truck crash.
The second commercial truck accident took place about ten minutes later, at 2:30pm, on the inner loop of the Capital Beltway near the Braddock Road exit. This Virginia truck accident involved a box truck and had fatal consequences. According to Virginia State Police, this crash was not related to the first accident and involved multiple vehicles. While the details of the crash remain unknown, authorities did confirm that the collision resulted in one traffic death. The accident also closed the two right lanes of Interstate 95 for several hours and slowed rush hour traffic.
Both truck accidents are being investigated by officials, though no citations or charges have been issued.