Ice causes problems for drivers in Pittsylvania Co.

Icy conditions on U.S. 29 at the bridge next to WKBY radio station caused four accidents Friday morning, sending two people to the hospital.

Three accidents occurred in the northbound part of the bridge over the Banister River. The first happened at about 9:30 a.m. when Lynchburg resident Steve Simpson, driving a 2003 Jeep Wrangler, slid on the icy bridge, spun, and rolled his vehicle four times, he said. Neither Simpson nor his 6-month-old Siberian husky, Sky, was injured.

Simpson’s mishap triggered another accident when Jeffrey Millner, of Danville, pulled over to help Simpson and a Nissan car slid and crashed into his Lincoln Aviator, according to the Virginia State Police. The lady driving the Nissan, whose identity was unavailable, was transported to Danville Regional Medical Center with injuries. Virginia State Trooper J.C. Loftis, who was at the scene, said the victim’s injuries appeared to be non-life-threatening.

Anita Merrill, of Danville, was behind Simpson when he wrecked, and she and Millner helped Simpson out of his Jeep.

“As soon as I saw him flip, I was like ‘Oh, this is bad,’” Merrill said after the incident.

Millner said he called 911 and was concerned that the Nissan would explode.

In another accident on the northbound side, a Mustang in the left lane slid, spun 180 degrees and struck the back of a dairy truck in the right lane, state police said. No one was injured.

Because of icy conditions on the bridge, no charges will be filed in the accidents, Loftis said.

In the fourth wreck, a person was injured when a tractor-trailer truck slid into two cars that were sliding sideways in front of the 18-wheeler and touching end-to-end, state police said. The male victim was taken to Danville Regional Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

“It happened so fast, I didn’t know what was going on,” Robert Powell, the truck’s driver, said. Powell, of Reidsville, N.C., compared the accident to a scene from a movie.

“I put on the brakes and started sliding,” he said, adding that the bridge didn’t appear like it had ice on it.

No charges were filed in the crash, Trooper Keith Isom said.

Loftis said there were a number of other accidents in Pittsylvania County on Friday morning due to icy conditions, including wrecks at the overpass in Blairs where U.S. 29 Business merges into U.S. 29; a single-vehicle crash at the bridge near Cherrystone Road just south of Chatham; and another in the westbound lanes of U.S. 58 at Cascade Road.

There were no reported traffic fatalities in the county as of Friday afternoon, State Police Sgt. M.C. Davis said.

• Contact John R. Crane at (434) 791-7987.