Millions of people from the Tennessee Valley to the mid-Atlantic remain under winter weather alerts as the region continues to clean up after a deadly winter storm that slammed the region on Wednesday.
Treacherous travel conditions have been reported on numerous roads and highways, including a deadly crash that occurred in Orange County, North Carolina.
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, first responders were alerted to a multi-vehicle crash along Interstate 40 in Orange County just before 3 p.m. Wednesday.
Troopers said two separate collisions had occurred in the area of Interstate 40 and 89, causing traffic to slow and come to a stop, backing up onto I-40.
That traffic, officials said, was struck from behind by several vehicles, including a tractor-trailer that crashed into the back of a passenger vehicle, killing Jerolyn Day Wilson, 78, of Burlington, North Carolina.
The driver of that truck, who was identified as William Crowell Kellam, 44, of Spartanburg, South Carolina, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and exceeding a safe speed for conditions.
At least three other multi-vehicle crashes had also occurred behind the fatal crash, which then blocked I-40.
In addition, 12 other collisions occurred within the immediate area of I-40 near mile marker 159, with a total of 53 vehicles involved in the incident.
On Wednesday alone, officials said, troopers responded to more than 1,100 crashes statewide, as well as more than 700 calls for service.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear had urged people to remain vigilant because of the storm as the region continues to recover from deadly flash flooding that slammed the area last weekend.
He warned that snow and bitterly cold temperatures are expected across much of the state through the rest of the week.
Winter storm turns historic in mid-Atlantic
The FOX Forecast Center said the heaviest snow from this storm fell across the Hampton Roads region of Virginia and North Carolina, and the snow totals have been historic.
More than a foot of snow was reported around the Virginia Beach and Norfolk areas, which is uncommon for southeastern Virginia.
Norfolk, for example, has only seen five previous winter storms that produced at least a foot of snow since 1890.
