Another Rainy Accident on SB I-395

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by ARLnow.com — February 29, 2012 at 10:12 am 2,264 6 Comments

Update at 11:20 a.m. — Another accident, involving at least two vehicles, is currently blocking two lefthand lanes of SB I-395 in the vicinity of the first accident.

The bend in I-395 near Washington Boulevard has claimed yet another rainy weather victim.

An accident occurred this morning on southbound I-395 just past the Arlington Ridge Road overpass. The same stretch of southbound I-395 has been the scene of numerous rainy day accidents.

The car’s driver was evaluated for possible injuries, but initial reports suggest the injuries were minor and didn’t require transport to the hospital. Police and a flatbed tow truck are currently on scene.

JamesE

I don’t drive on this stretch of 395 often does water collect there and cause hydroplaning?
Juan

I drive it every day and I never see water pooling, and it’s not that we have had that much rain today, maybe an inch at most? I think it has to due with the lanes merging that some people may not expect. There is the lane from Pentagon Row that has to merge in on the right, HOV merges in on the left, and about a quarter mile later two lanes from Washington Boulevard westbound merge into 395 south. About a hundred feet after that merge the lane from Washington Boulevard eastbound merges in. I think these are mostly due to non-attentive drivers. This isn’t a section of road that lends itself to texting, and add in speed and rain, I can see how people may have to break suddenly as their lane runs out and serve, causing accidents here.
Teyo

There’s a “Lane Ends Merge Left” sign on the onramp from NB 27 to SB 395, followed by a merge sign shortly before the overpass that carries the SB 27 connection to S Arlington Ridge Rd. Then the lane ends shortly before the onramp from SB 27 merges into SB 395. Either people don’t notice the two signs and there needs to be a third “Merge Now” sign right at the merge point (past the overpass), or people aren’t allowing others to merge. The highway goes from 5 lanes to 4 lanes at that point, so it’s not like there isn’t any room to merge.
- zzzzz
  
  And shortly after that, the right lane becomes exit-only for Glebe Rd, so some people are moving left to get out of that lane while others are moving right so they can exit. It’s just a general mess of lane changes. I generally get on 395 south at Washington Blvd, and I move over to the left or near-left lane as soon as possible to get out of it all. I can understand how slipperly pavement and decreased visibility make it that much more dangerous.
Callie

What’s a “rainy accident?” Are accidents raining? Who writes this stuff?
PHD

“this isn’t a section of road that lends itself to texting” …

o.k.
so, there *are* sections of road that lend themselves to texting … while driving?

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