THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Wednesday, February 22, 1995           TAG: 9502220437
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 
DATELINE: SUFFOLK                            LENGTH: Short :   31 lines

4 PEOPLE INJURED AFTER 5-CAR CRASH IN SUFFOLK CHAIN REACTION BEGAN WHEN A CAR REAR-ENDED A TRUCK ON ROUTE 58.

A chain reaction accident involving five vehicles on U.S. Route 58 sent four people to a hospital and blocked westbound traffic for several miles for nearly two hours Tuesday afternoon.

The accident happened about 5:05 p.m. in the westbound portion of the six-lane divided highway near the truck weigh station.

As a tractor-trailer was slowing to enter the weigh station, a car hit the back of the truck. It bounced off the rear tires and went airborne, then landed on the road and hit two more cars, said Suffolk Police spokesman Mike Simpkins.

A pickup then ran into the pile-up, he said.

Rescue officials worked for more than an hour to transport the patients to Obici Hospital, where they were being treated Tuesday night. Simpkins said none of the injuries appeared life-threatening.

Members of the Suffolk Fire Department cleaned up spilled transmission fluid from the road.

An investigation by Officer T.J. Wheeler is ongoing.

KEYWORDS: ACCIDENT TRAFFIC INJURIES by CNB