A blast of cold air caused rain and wet roads to freeze across the Eastern U.S., triggering airport delays in the nation's capital and major traffic pileups in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. Authorities say two people were killed in a chain-reaction accident in Baltimore involving a tanker carrying gasoline that skidded off a highway and exploded, AP reported. Baltimore City Fire Chief Roman Clark said two people were killed and at least 15 were injured in the 55-vehicle accident and tanker explosion on Interstate-95. Clark said the tanker careened off the highway, fell over a jersey wall and burst into flames. Clark said it's too early to say whether the crash was caused by slick roads, although scores of traffic accidents were being reported across the region due to icy roads. Officials have not released the names of the two people killed in the crash. Clark said it's unclear whether the pileup started before the tanker crash or was caused by the incident. Earlier Saturday, Bob Maloney of the Baltimore City Office of Emergency Management was quoted by WBAL-TV as saying that at least 30 cars were involved in an accident on northbound I-95. Baltimore County said on Twitter that between 15 and 20 vehicles were involved in a crash on I-695 near Rosedale. Six people were taken to the hospital. The National Weather Service has issued a wintry weather advisory for the Baltimore area, meaning that periods of sleet and freezing rain through noon will lead to slippery roads and limited visibility.
