WASHINGTON – One person suffered life-threatening injuries and two other people were hurt when four motorcycles were involved in a pair of chain-reaction crashes early Saturday afternoon on Route 66 in Fairfax County, the Virginia State Police say.

The motorcycles were traveling together shortly after noon on Interstate 66 eastbound, west of Exit 62 in Fairfax County, the police said in a statement.

Traffic had slowed to a stop, according to the police, and two motorcycles had braked when a third bike rear-ended one of them. A fourth motorcycle crashed as it attempted to avoid the earlier crash.

Two riders, both from Ohio, were taken to Fairfax Inova Hospital for treatment of their injuries; the police say one of them suffered life-threatening injuries.

A passenger on one of the motorcycles, from New York, was also transported to Fairfax Inova Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The police didn’t release any of the bikers’ names but said they were all wearing helmets.

Police say they are continuing to investigate, and that charges are pending.

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