Update: 3 separate accidents to blame for miles-long traffic backup on I-95

Traffic was backed up on I-95 southbound from more than a mile north of the Hilton Head exit nearly to the Georgia state line on Friday afternoon, and three separate vehicle accidents are to blame, police said.

Lance Cpl. Matt Southern, spokesman for the South Carolina Highway Patrol, said the first accident happened just before 3:30 p.m. near Mile Marker 1 on the highway and involved four vehicles.

One person was transported to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah with injuries that were not life-threatening, Southern said.

Details about the cause of that accident were not available.

Southern said two separate two-vehicle accidents — where one vehicle rear-ended another — occurred in the wake of the first accident.

The left lane of the highway was closed while the accidents were cleared, according to a notice on 511sc.org, the South Carolina Department of Transportation’s traffic website.

Traffic was still building at 5 p.m., though Southern said all lanes were expected to be open before 5:30 p.m.

Drivers in the area should expect delays into Friday evening.

This story was originally published November 16, 2018 at 4:40 PM.