MANASSAS, Va. — Police in Virginia are looking for a driver who abandoned their injured passengers after a crash on Interstate 66 Monday morning.
The crash caused major delays in the eastbound lanes for several hours.
VSP investigators report the crash happened around 3 a.m. around mile marker 48 in Prince William County.
A Nissan Altima experienced a mechanical failure while traveling east on I-66 and the vehicle came to a stop in the left center lane, according to investigators. Its driver and passenger activated the vehicle's emergency hazard lights and placed a traffic cone, taken from a nearby work zone, behind it.
Minutes later a Kia Forte ran into the rear of the disabled Nissan. The Kia's driver then bailed out of the car and ran way on foot, crossing the westbound lanes of I-66 and running into the woods. Prince William County Police and Fairfax County Police assisted VSP with search efforts to find the driver, but he has yet to be found.
A woman passenger in the front of the Kia suffered minor injuries in the crash. She was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
A back-seat passenger in the Kia was not wearing a seat belt and suffered injuries thought to be life-threatening, according to police. That passenger was flown by helicopter to Inova Fairfax for treatment.
As of 6:30 a.m., all eastbound lanes of I-66 had reopened, but a major backup was seen on our Sky9 helicopter, stretching back about five miles from where the crash happened.
The crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the missing driver should contact VSP by calling 703-803-0026 or emailing questions@vsp.virginia.gov
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