Ralph Northam blames Virginia drivers for getting stranded on I-95: 'People need to pay attention'

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, D., took heat Wednesday after blaming thousands of drivers for being on the road only to be left stranded on Interstate 95 due to heavy snowfall that crippled snow removal crews.

"We gave warnings, and people need to pay attention to these warnings, and the less people that are on the highways when these storms hit, the better," Northam told The Washington Post.

A sitting senator, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., was among the stranded drivers Tuesday. He documented his nightmarish commute on Twitter, finally reaching the Capitol after 27 hours.
 

After 27+ hours on the road from Richmond to DC, @timkaine is safely back in the Capitol. Still in good spirits! pic.twitter.com/VV9SKdDeNM

— Katie Stuntz (@kastuntz) January 4, 2022

Northam and the Virginia Department of Transportation have been accused of failing to prepare the roads for the upcoming onslaught of snow, while some who were stuck in the winter storm traffic hit the governor and the agency for not responding fast enough following the disaster.