RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A winter storm that contributed to at least five deaths in the Midwest pummeled the mid-Atlantic region for a second day Sunday, bringing with it an icy mix that knocked out power, cancelled flights and contributed to hundreds of car accidents.
Virginia State Police said the driver of a military surplus vehicle was killed late Saturday after he lost control on Interstate 81 because of slick road conditions.
Police said Ronald W. Harris, 73, of Gainesville, Georgia, died after his vehicle was struck by two tractor-trailers. The two tractor-trailer drivers were taken to a hospital for injuries that were not considered life-threatening. The state medical examiner was expected to determine later whether Harris’ death was storm-related.
Virginia State Police said they responded to more than 230 traffic crashes and helped more than 100 disabled vehicles in Virginia from midnight to noon Sunday.
The storm knocked out power for nearly 200,000 people in Virginia and North Carolina on Sunday, according to PowerOutage.us.
In North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency Sunday, seeking to help utility crews restore electricity more quickly after power lines fell due to freezing rain, ice and toppled trees. Areas of the state’s western mountains and foothills were hardest-hit along with the western Piedmont region and nearly 1,000 state transportation workers were called out to clear ice and snow.
The wintry mix was also causing problems at airports in the region, including more than 250 flight cancellations Sunday at the three main airports serving the nation’s capital.
The storm caused a variety of cancellations and closings.
The Maryland Zoo was closed to the public, with only essential employees told to report to work. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority cancelled its planned track work for the weekend.
In Baltimore, a man was fatally shot as he shoveled snow early Sunday morning. Police said a 43-year-old man was outside shoveling at 4:40 a.m. when an unidentified suspect shot him in the shoulder and head. The man died at a hospital.
The National Weather Service reported close to a half-inch of ice in some sections of western North Carolina, leading to fallen trees and power lines. The remainder of the state received mostly a cold rain or freezing precipitation that caused few problems
By late Sunday afternoon, the Washington, D.C. metro area, northern Virginia and parts of Maryland had total snowfall accumulations ranging from five to eight inches (12-20 centimeters). Central Virginia, including Richmond, had much smaller accumulations — as little as one inch (2.5 centimeters)— but the snow was followed by hours of sleet and freezing rain.
Marc Chenard, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, said parts of the region could expect snow to continue falling into Sunday evening.
“At this point, it is just going to head out to sea once it exits here this evening,” Chenard said.
Most public school systems in northern Virginia and Prince George’s County schools in suburban Maryland said classes would be cancelled Monday.
Among those killed in the Midwest during the storm was an Illinois state trooper struck by a car when he responded to a three-vehicle crash Saturday in suburban Chicago.
State Police Director Leo Schmitz told reporters that 34-year-old Christopher Lambert was headed home when he pulled over and got out of his squad car to respond to the accident. Schmitz said Lambert positioned his squad car to protect the other three cars and “took on the danger himself.”
For Kansas City Chiefs offensive guard Jeff Allen, there was a bright spot during the storm when a Good Samaritan helped pull his vehicle out of the snow after he got stuck on his way to Arrowhead Stadium for the divisional playoff game Saturday.
Allen said he made it on time for the Chiefs’ victory over the Indianapolis Colts because of the man’s help. The man who helped Allen didn’t know he was a Chiefs player at the time.
Allen turned to Twitter to track down the Good Samaritan. When they connected Sunday morning, Allen thanked him and promised him tickets to next week’s AFC Championship game.
A snow family is seen on Capitol Hill as a winter storm arrives in the region, Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Snow blankets a statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square with the White House behind, as a winter storm arrives in the region, Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Gus, a Golden Doodle, left, chases Chico, a Portuguese Water Dog, as they play in the snow along Glover-Archbold Trail in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019. A winter storm brought snow to the Mid-Atlantic region, where forecasters upped their predicted weekend accumulations and transportation and emergency officials urged residents to stay off the roads. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
An American flag waves in front of the U.S. Capitol Dome as a winter storm arrives in the region Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Two children go over a ramp as they sled on Capitol Hill as a winter storm arrives in the region, Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Becket Dyer, from Campbell, Calif., uses a blow up unicorn as a sled on Capitol Hill as a winter storm arrives in the region, Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Jeremy Binstock gives his niece Olivia Binstock, 4, a sled ride as he hangs onto his dog Bagel, on Capitol Hill as a winter storm arrives in the region, Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
People sled on Capitol Hill as a winter storm arrives in the region, Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Morgan Miller carries her one-year-old daughter Mia Jennings in one arm as she shovels the stairs to her Springfield home with the other Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019. Miller said she’s learned how to do a lot of things while holding a baby in the last year. (Ted Schurter/The State Journal-Register via AP)
Snow covers the North Lawn of the White House in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019. A winter storm brought snow to the Mid-Atlantic region, where forecasters upped their predicted weekend accumulations and transportation and emergency officials urged residents to stay off the roads. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Isabella Orsini jumps into her sled as she plays in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019. A massive winter snowstorm moved into Kansas and Nebraska from the Rockies on Friday, then east into Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana, covering roads and making driving dangerous. (Ryan Soderlin/Omaha World-Herald via AP)
Traffic moves along Pacific Street near its intersection with 189th Street as snow falls in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019. A massive winter snowstorm moved into Kansas and Nebraska from the Rockies on Friday, then east into Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana, covering roads and making driving dangerous. (Ryan Soderlin/Omaha World-Herald via AP)
Sam Person clears snow in Papillion, Neb., on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019. A massive winter snowstorm moved into Kansas and Nebraska from the Rockies on Friday, then east into Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana, covering roads and making driving dangerous. (Kent Sievers/Omaha World-Herald via AP)
A man walks on a sidewalk in downtown Chicago, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019. A winter weather advisory is in effect until 3 a.m. Sunday and covers northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana including Lee, DeKalb, Kane, DuPage and Cook counties. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Noah Shober makes a snow angel outside of his house in Terre Haute, Ind., on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019. A massive winter snowstorm making its way across the Midwest and into the Mid-Atlantic region blanketed most of Missouri and several other states. The storm moved east into Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana, covering roads and making driving dangerous. (Austen Leake/The Tribune-Star via AP)
Commuter trains are parked at the LaSalle Street station under a heavy snow fall in downtown Chicago, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019. A winter weather advisory is in effect until 3 a.m. Sunday and covers northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana including Lee, DeKalb, Kane, DuPage and Cook counties. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
A man clears snow from sidewalk in downtown Chicago, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019. A winter weather advisory is in effect until 3 a.m. Sunday and covers northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana including Lee, DeKalb, Kane, DuPage and Cook counties. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Blake Wise applies the head of the snowman that he and Brianna Atwood built along South 7th Street in Terre Haute, Ind., on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019. A massive winter snowstorm making its way across the Midwest and into the Mid-Atlantic region blanketed most of Missouri and several other states. (Austen Leake/The Tribune-Star via AP)