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Dashcam captures woman driving wrong way on I-66

Police said one other driver suffered minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment after a crash.

ARLINGTON, Va. — New dashcam footage captures the moment a driver narrowly avoids crashing into a red sedan that was travelling the wrong way on I-66.

Virginia State Police said they began receiving calls of a wrong-way driver at approximately 10:36 a.m. on Thursday. 

The video shows a red car traveling at high speeds eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-66. You can watch the video in the player at the top of this story.

The 57-year-old Pennsylvania woman then struck another vehicle and suffered a flat tire as she approached Arlington, at which point police say they were able to meet and stop her near the 72 mile marker on I-66.

EMTs transported the driver of the vehicle that was struck to a nearby hospital for treatment of minor injuries, according to the police report. No other injuries were reported. 

Police said the wrong-way driver initially refused to exit the vehicle and added that it was visible she was suffering from mental duress. 

After contacting a family member and establishing a rapport with the woman, police said the driver eventually exited the vehicle and was then taken to local hospital for evaluation.

Charges have not yet been filed but are pending, police said. 

Although no one was killed in this incident, a March 2021 report from the American Automobile Association (AAA) found that fatal wrong-way driving accidents are actually on the rise. 

The report cites that there were 2,008 deaths related to wrong-way driving accidents between 2015 to 2018, an increase of 34% compared to its analysis between 2010 to 2014. 

The association's analysis also found that six in 10 wrong-way driving accidents involved alcohol impairment, and nearly 87% of these accidents occurred when driving without another passenger. 

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