Witnesses recount 'terrifying' deadly I-95 crash in Caroline: 'We were lucky'

CAROLINE COUNTY, Va. — Multiple witnesses described a terrifying sequence of events on Interstate 95 in Caroline County Saturday afternoon that ended with one person dead and two others hospitalized.

Christina Baker and her husband Joshua were riding in a car on I-95 when they watched the crash unfold directly in front of them.

"It went down, and then it went up, and then just flew across the entire median across onto oncoming traffic going the opposite direction," Christina said. "I started screaming, saying, 'Oh my gosh, oh my gosh.'"

A second witness, who spoke to WTVR CBS 6 on the condition of anonymity, said he was driving south on the interstate when a gold SUV approached him from behind at a high rate of speed, passing cars on the left shoulder. He said he moved into the middle lane to get out of the way.

The witness said just as the SUV was passing him, the driver attempted to move off the shoulder and back into the left lane when the vehicle lost control. It began crossing into the second lane of I-95 south directly in front of him before the driver overcorrected in the opposite direction, sending the SUV back across the shoulder, through the median and into traffic in the interstate's northbound lanes.

"It was a horrible collision," he said.

Christina Baker

The crash happened near mile marker 115, just before noon. Virginia State Police confirmed one person was killed and two others were taken to an area hospital. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Christina said the experience left the couple deeply shaken.

"It was definitely terrifying. Such tragic loss for no reason," she said.

She also noted that the absence of a guardrail in that section of highway may have prevented an even worse outcome.

"We were lucky there was no guardrail in that section or the reckless vehicle would most likely have bounced back into the cars right in front of us and we would have been in the accident too," Christina said.

The Bakers said they are willing to share their account with police and urged other witnesses to do the same. They said they continue to pray for those injured in the crash.

The experience was a sobering reminder to both of the responsibility every driver carries.

"People should just stay in the lanes, drive the speed limit right, and be responsible. Because I felt for a moment, I was obviously concerned for our safety as well," Joshua said.

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