Three people died in a three-vehicle crash on eastbound Interstate 66 just before the Capital Beltway early Thursday.
Earlier, the investigation blocked all lanes of eastbound I-66 and diverted traffic to Nutley Street in Vienna, causing backups during the morning commute.
By the afternoon, all lanes were cleared and traffic was flowing in the area.
Police said the crash at 3:06 a.m. involved a tractor-trailer, a Toyota SUV and a Honda SUV.
Virginia State Police said an initial investigation found that the Honda was heading east on I-66 when it lost control near mile marker 64. It then struck the Toyota and continued off the right side of the interstate, where it struck a guardrail, returned to the interstate and hit the Toyota again.
It continued off the left side of the interstate and hit the guardrail, which sent it spinning back into the eastbound lanes, police said. The tractor-trailer swerved to avoid the Honda, but the two vehicles crashed into each other.
The adult female driver and two juveniles inside the Honda died at the scene. Police are still working to identify the deceased and notify their next of kin.
Two other juveniles are being treated at a Fairfax hospital for injuries police described as “non-life- threatening.”
The driver of Toyota was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.
The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured in the crash.
The crash occurred as heavy rains swept through the region in an area where there’s heavy construction related to a project to expand I-66.
No other information about the crash has been released.
