Chaos erupted on Rock Creek Parkway in Washington D.C. on Saturday night when three vehicles collided, injuring three people, per reports from WTOP. The parkway was shut down in both directions following the incident. According to WUSA9, the closure stretched between P Street and Q Street Northwest as authorities managed the scene.

Emergency services responded around 8:30 p.m. to a distressing scene, they found three people with injuries— a woman critically injured, she had to be cut from her vehicle and receive an on-scene blood transfusion as detailed by D.C. Fire and EMS spokesperson Vito Maggiolo, according to WTOP. Traffic was snarled as a result of the shutdown, with southbound drivers being diverted around Waterside Drive and northbound traffic rerouted at P Street N.W. despite the efforts of first responders and Park Police to quickly clear and investigate the disruptive and painful tableau.

The injuries sustained by the victims were profound. DC News Now reported that two of the individuals had suffered "serious" harm. By 9:18 p.m., the gravity of the woman's condition necessitated an airlift by the U.S. Park Police's Eagle helicopter to a local trauma center, indicating the high stakes and urgent needs intrinsic to such traffic mishaps.

While some details remain unclear as investigations are underway, the incident has drawn attention to the all-too-common violence of our roadways and the precarious thread by which life sometimes hangs. As of this moment, the origins of the crash are still under investigation measures are in place to detour and direct affected motorists meanwhile, authorities have not yet released information on how many vehicles were involved or what led to the collision, a concrete reminder of the fragility and chaos inherent in our daily commutes.