WSLS 10 reports that on the night of Monday, January 17th, 2011, a crash near mile marker 137 on Interstate 81 left two people dead and several injured.
According to State Police, Virginia (VA) trucker lost control in Roanoke County and drove across two lanes of oncoming traffic. The driver was hauling sawdust north on the roadway near Salem when he lost control of his tractor-trailer just before 8 p.m. The truck ran off the left side of the road, crashed through the guardrail, went over the median, then jackknifed across the southbound lanes.
Police Sgt. Rob Carpentieri stated that a tractor-trailer traveling south in the right lane hit the first truck head-on. A BMW in the left lane then did the same.
The second truck driver, from Georgia, died at the scene. A 50-year-old Alabama man in the sleeper cab of that truck was injured and taken to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital.
The driver of the BMW, a 28 year-old from Virginia, was also pronounced dead at the scene. She was driving with two passengers, including a 1year-old baby, who were both taken to the hospital with injuries. Charges are pending against the first truck driver.
A trucking accident is a horrific situation to be in, and so much more so when loved ones die or are injured. Our sympathies are with the families of the victims at this time. When driving any type of vehicle, always pay careful attention to the road, and leave plenty of time to arrive at your destination.
If you or a loved one was injured in a truck accident, contact an experienced attorney as soon as possible to discuss your case.
IW