6 vehicle crash on I-81 at Buchanan

WSLS News Staff
Published: August 28, 2008

Updated 11:36 a.m.

VDOT says all southbound lanes are now open.

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Updates throughout 7:57 a.m.

State Police say a six vehicle crash closed both lanes of Interstate 81 southbound near Buchanan for two hours early this morning.

Troopers on the scene tell WSLS-TV that three tractor trailers are involved, along with two SUVs, and one car.  EMS crews took one person to the hospital.

One of the tractor trailers involved jack-knifed, and ruptured its fuel tank.  HAZMAT crews are on scene to clean-up the diesel fuel that spilled.

A tractor trailer driver at the front of the crash tells WSLS a red SUV was towing a white SUV, and the towed SUV came loose.  The tractor trailer driver says he had to swerve between both lanes to avoid hitting the SUVs.

A second tractor trailer driver at the back of the crash tells WSLS that when he drove up on the crash scene, the towed SUV was in the middle of the road, and the tractor trailer driver could not avoid hitting it.  The crash sent the towed SUV into the median of I-81.  No one was inside it.

State Police are still investigating.

VDOT says the right lane is closed and the left lane is open as of 7:45 a.m., but drivers should expect short-term left lane closures throughout the day for clean-up crews to finish their work.

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Updated 7:52 a.m.

VDOT says the left lane of I-81 southbound is back open, but drivers should expect short-term left lane closures throughout the day so clean-up crews can finish their work.

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Updated 7:28 a.m.

State Police on the scene now tell WSLS photojournalist Jarrett Henshaw that a 3rd tractor-trailer is involved in the crash, bringing the total number of vehicles involved to six.

The driver of one tractor trailer at the front of the crashes says he saw the red Ford Explorer towing the white SUV.  The driver saw the white SUV come loose, and had to swerve between both lanes to avoid hitting the SUVs.

HAZMAT crews are on the scene to clean up diesel fuel that spilled from the burgandy colored cab tractor trailer that jack-knifed.  It’s fuel tank ruptured.

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Updated 6:54 a.m.

WSLS photojournalist Jarrett Henshaw is on the scene.  State Police troopers there tell him two tractor trailers, and three other vehicles are involved.  EMS crews took one person to the hospital.

It appears one tractor-trailer jack-knifed.  Also a red, 2-door Ford Explorer got spun around, and the SUV’s back end hit one of the tractor-trailers.

The driver of the second tractor trailer involved at the back of the crash tells us he saw a white SUV in the middle of the road as he came up on the crash scene, and could not stop in time before hitting it.  The impact sent the white SUV into the media.  No one was inside, and it appears the white SUV was being towed.

A fifth car was already on a wrecker when we arrived on scene.

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Original story 5:49 a.m.

VDOT says a tractor trailer crash has shut down I-81 southbound in Botetourt County, at the Buchanan exit.

Drivers are advised to take Route 11 soutbound past the crash scene.

WSLS has a crew en route to the scene.  More information as it becomes available.