VIRGINIA, USA — In a way, politicians like Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, are just like us — getting stuck in traffic and having nothing else to do.
But he, like hundreds of more people, have been caught up in a more nightmarish scenario. They've been sitting in a line of vehicles for almost a full day along a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 95 in Virginia. Cars came to a stop Monday following a crash involving six tractor-trailers, The Associated Press reported, and a regional snowstorm locked them into place.
Kaine, who served as the running mate for presidential contender Hillary Clinton in 2016, tweeted Tuesday morning he started his usual two-hour drive to D.C. around 1 p.m. yesterday but still is on the highway.
And in a second update, Kaine said he and other stranded drivers were the recipients of some oranges from a nice family from Connecticut returning from Florida.
The National Weather Service reports 7-11 inches of snow fell, prompting state police to warn people to avoid unnecessary driving as the power went out across much of the region.
"I’ve never seen anything like it," truck driver Emily Clementson told NBC Washington, the AP reported. She urged stuck motorists to ask truck drivers if they have food or water to share since many carry extra supplies in case they get stranded.
The Virginia Department of Transportation tweeted Tuesday morning that I-95 remains closed in the Fredericksburg area, though snow plows and tow trucks are on the scene. People are asked to avoid the area until the lanes reopen and the congestion clears.