SJ CARTER Special to The Roanoke Times

Several wrecks occurred Sunday evening on Interstate 81. This one was near the Arcadia exit and involved several vehicles.

Numerous pileups on Interstate 81 on Sunday prolonged holiday weekend travel for drivers headed back to home and campus.

The largest pileup involved 19 to 20 cars and occurred about 8:30 p.m., Virginia State Police said.

First Sgt. J.A. Noel said the wreck, at mile marker 172.6 in Botetourt County halfway between Arcadia and Natural Bridge, caused a significant backup to southbound traffic.

The incident consisted of five wrecks that all happened in the left lane "within moments of each other," Noel said.

He said because of heavy congestion and stop-and-go traffic that had been prevalent throughout the day, some cars had been following one another too closely, resulting in the multiple crashes, which backed traffic up 7 miles.

Rockbridge County Emergency Management Coordinator Robert Foresman said the backup caused the closure of southbound I-81 at the Botetourt County-Rockbridge County line. About 10:30 p.m., Noel said the lanes were reopened.

Noel said several motorists were charged with either reckless driving or following too closely. Two people were taken to a Roanoke hospital by ambulance with injuries that were not life-threatening, Noel said.

Noel said he didn't know how many charges people face because a handful of troopers was moving among various wrecks throughout the evening, but said all information should be put together by Tuesday.

Elsewhere, a four-vehicle crash slowed the interstate's already-delayed traffic Sunday evening, authorities said.

In that crash, a vehicle traveling south near mile marker 138.5 slowed to about 5 mph, causing a domino effect with three vehicles behind it, each crashing into the car in front, Virginia State Trooper Kevin Humphries said.

He said the wreck occurred about 5:25 p.m., and one person with minor injuries was taken to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. The left lane of I-81 was closed for about 10 minutes; the right for about 20 minutes, Humphries said.

Traffic was backed up about 6 miles, adding to congestion from holiday travel and students at Radford University and Virginia Tech returning to campus, he said.

Humphries said an investigation is pending, but so far three drivers have been charged with following too closely.

Backups were reported elsewhere on I-81 throughout Sunday evening.

The Virginia Department of Transportation said that southbound I-81 traffic in Roanoke County was backed up 12 miles at mile marker 134, while northbound traffic was backed up 18 miles at mile marker 147.

Sarah Gagne of Radford was one of many stuck in the Roanoke County traffic Sunday.

"Oh, God, it was so awful," she said.

Gagne left Washington, D.C., about 1 p.m. and was traveling to Radford. A trip that she said usually takes her no more than four hours lasted six and a half hours. She finally reaching home at 7:30 p.m. She said the worst parts were near mile markers 143 and 150.

In Botetourt County, southbound I-81 traffic was backed up 10 miles at mile marker 162, VDOT said.