The driver of a logging truck that was involved in a one-vehicle accident in Appomattox told authorities that the crash was caused by a gust of wind that blew his truck out of his lane. The Virginia truck accident took place on Thursday morning, January 31.
According to the News & Advance, as well as other local news sources, the unidentified trucker was carrying trees along U.S. 460 East a few minutes before 6 a.m. when he lost control of his vehicle and left the roadway. The big-rig struck the guardrail along the side of the road and continued to crash down a half-mile of highway before coming to a stop. While the truck suffered significant damage to its tires and frame, the trucker did not sustain any serious injuries.
The Virginia State Police stated that the driver of the truck has been charged with failure to control his vehicle although the tracker stated that a strong wind blew his truck off of the road and into the guardrail.
While one lane of traffic was affected for part of the morning, the Virginia Department of Transportation cleared the accident scene within three hours of the crash.
Within a day of this crash, a second truck accident in Virginia occurred that was also blamed on strong winds. In Augusta County, a double tractor-trailer flipped onto its side on Interstate 81 after the driver stated that the second trailer he was pulling was struck by a gust of wind. In that accident, the truck driver was not charged with any traffic violations.