Story highlights A total of 95 vehicles were involved in 17 "chain-reaction" crashes

25 people were transported to hospitals, a police spokeswoman says

The series of crashes started as fog engulfed Interstate 77, police say

Three people were killed and dozens were injured in a massive pileup on a highway in Virginia on Sunday, police said.

A total of 95 vehicles were involved in 17 "chain-reaction" crashes in the southbound lanes of Interstate 77, Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said.

Twenty-five people were transported to hospitals for treatment, she said.

The first calls to 911 came in at around 1:15 p.m. as fog engulfed the highway.

Video from CNN affiliate WSLS showed traffic completely stopped as emergency personnel worked around burnt vehicles. Smoke rose from one, drifting up into the low clouds.

The pileup occurred near the Virginia-North Carolina border.