Trucker Charged with Reckless Driving After Buchanan Accident | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

A truck driver involved in a one-vehicle accident on Interstate 81 has been charged with reckless driving by Virginia State Police after rolling his big-rig early on Tuesday morning. 

 

According to local authorities and local media, 41-year-old Linus Eric Raber of North Carolina was driving a tractor-trailer carrying live turkeys northbound on I-81 near Buchanan, Virginia, on Tuesday morning. At around 5:20 a.m., the trucker lost control of his truck, struck the guardrail on the right side of the road, and flipped his vehicle across both lanes of traffic before coming to a stop. 

 

Most of the 900 turkeys, which were traveling to Harrisonburg for processing, were killed in the crash. The company that owned the turkeys rushed to the scene of the accident to assess the situation and also helped emergency responders handle the turkeys appropriately before they arrived. The driver was not injured in the accident.

 

The crash shut down I-81 north for several hours as authorities investigated the Virginia truck accident and dealt with the turkeys and tipped truck. Traffic was backed up for five miles, and vehicles were asked to exit onto Route 11 between Exit 162 and Exit 167. Botetourt County Emergency Management Coordinator reported that both lanes reopened at around 11 a.m. 

 

The trucker was charged with reckless driving although it is not clear what caused the man to lose control of his vehicle and veer out of his lane and off of the road. The Botetourt County truck accident is still under investigation.