Updated: 5 crashes involving 2 semi trucks snarl I-95 traffic

STAFFORD COUNTY — Traffic began moving again on Interstate 95 south in Stafford County about 1 o’clock this afternoon.

A southbound portion of the highway was closed about an hour earlier at milepost 142 just before the Stafford exit after at least two tractor-trailers were involved in a crash.

As many a five people were taken to multiple hospitals in Stafford and Spotsylvania counties. Fire and rescue crews from those counties, as well as Prince William County, were called to the scene to assist rescue crews.

It’s unclear what caused the crash, or how many vehicles were involved.

Fire and rescue crews treated the scene in a traumatic triage approach, tagging patients with color-coded tags from serious red to mild green that denotes their level of injury.

As traffic began moving again on I-95, rescue crews working on the highway were warned to pay attention to the cars that would be traveling down the right shoulder, five cars at a time.

Virginia State Police was called to investigate the crash.

More as we have it.

Updated information from Virginia State Police: 

Beginning shortly before 12 p.m. Tuesday (Sept. 25), Virginia State Police responded to a series of chain-reaction, multi-vehicle crashes in  the southbound lanes of Interstate 95 stretching from the 143 to the 141 mile markers in Stafford County. There are several tractor-trailers and passenger vehicles involved in the five separate crashes. At least four people have reported injuries – but none that appear to be life-threatening. The causes of the crashes are under investigation.

 At this time the southbound lanes of I-95 are still closed as VDOT, State Police and tow trucks work as quickly as possible to clear the wrecked vehicles from the highway. Southbound traffic is being detoured off the interstate at Exit 143A.