Trucker Sentenced to Prison after Fatal Northern Virginia Crash | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

A driver who was involved in a deadly Northern Virginia truck accident last fall was sentenced to four months in prison last month for his actions leading up to the fatal crash. 

According to local news sources, 44-year-old Lance Anderson was driving a tractor-trailer on I-81 on October 5, 2012, when he slammed into the rear of a Jeep that was stopped in a construction zone along the interstate. The Jeep, which was carrying three occupants, slammed into another car and burst into flames. One passenger in the Jeep, Zackary Santor, was pulled from the vehicle safely by others at the scene. But the other two passengers, 39-year-old Heather Lee Santor and 18-year-old Acoye Marcouis Breckenridge, were killed in the fiery crash. The trucker and the occupants of the third vehicle did not suffer serious injuries. 

In the wake of the fatal Virginia truck accident, investigators discovered that Anderson had been texting while driving shortly before the crash. However, they couldn’t determine whether or not the trucker had been using his mobile phone when the collision took place. Anderson was eventually charged with reckless driving, improper brakes, and texting while driving. The lack of evidence in the case meant that he was not charged with vehicular manslaughter, a felony that would have involved a much longer jail sentence and more serious consequences. 

Anderson, who had logged several other driving citations in recent years, will spend 120 days in jail, followed by two years of probation and a $2,500 fine. He pleaded no contest in court. 

We extend our most sincere condolences to the families of those who were lost in this tragic accident.