BARBOURSVILLE, W.Va. — Interstate 64 West at Barboursville has reopened following a work zone crash.
The accident happened near the Huntington Mall at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. A motorist entered a state Division of Highways construction zone creating a three-vehicle pile up.
“We actually had a driver that entered a DOH work zone and then tried to exit, caused a chain reaction crash and sent other vehicles back into the work zone,” said DOH spokesperson Carrie Jones.
The driver went through cones along the right shoulder, saw an excavator and panicked. The vehicle then swerved back into the left-hand lane and hit several other cars.
Jones said the accident could’ve been avoided.
“If you just slow down and stay alert, these types of things don’t have to happen,” she said.
With April being Work Zone Safety Awareness Month, Jones said this is just another reminder that drivers need to pay attention while driving through work sites.
“Apparently someone wasn’t paying attention and staying alert where we were working. They put their life, others drivers’ lives and our workers’ lives at stake,” she said.
No one was hurt in the crash.
The westbound lanes were closed for about an hour and backed up traffic for several miles.
DOH safety officers are investigating the incident. Jones said she’s confident the work zone site was set up with proper signage.