Woman charged with DUI after bizarre Rt. 58 wrecks

By Denice Thibodeau
Danville Register & Bee
Published: July 15, 2008

SUTHERLIN — A man is in the hospital and a woman is charged with driving under the influence of drugs after a bizarre series of accidents Monday afternoon on U.S. 58 in Sutherlin.

Virginia State Trooper M.T. Wade said Steven Bradford, of Eden, N.C., was driving a 2004 single-axle Kenworth truck westbound on U.S. 58 when he saw a 1997 Nissan Sentra coming straight toward him.

Bradford hit his brakes and came to a stop. A 2007 Freightliner propane truck behind him, driven by Calvin Lewis, of Vernon Hill, also attempted to stop, but hit Bradford, Wade said.

James J. Matts II, of Covington, Ga., driving a 1995 Freightliner flatbed trailer, also attempted to stop when he approached the accident, but when he pulled the trailer brakes his load shifted and dropped off into the road, the trooper said.

The load on Matts’ truck was an industrial-sized transformer he had just picked up at ABB in South Boston. It spewed 1,000 gallons of mineral oil on the road and property beside it, state police said.

Matts was taken to Danville Regional Medical Center with minor, non-life-threatening injuries, emergency officials said.

The driver of the Nissan, South Boston resident Margie Monroe, left the scene, authorities said.

“Her vehicle never hit anyone,” Wade said. “She backed up, turned around and went home.”

He said a witness to the accident followed Monroe to her home and called 911. Trooper T. Comer took Monroe back to the scene of the accident, where she was officially arrested, state police said. She may face other charges in addition to the DUI, Wade said.

Traffic on westbound U.S. 58 was completely stopped for about an hour.

Ringgold Fire & Rescue firefighters swept sand on the mineral oil spill so one lane could be opened.

“We just got one lane opened back up,” Ringgold Fire & Rescue Lt. Walter Henderson said shortly after 4 p.m. “Sand trucks and HAZMAT are on the way. They’ll be working into the night.”

Wade commended the firefighters on their clean-up efforts.

“The Ringgold fire department did a good job of containing the spill until the arrival of HAZMAT Officer Wade Collins relieved them,” he said.

As of 10 p.m., one lane of westbound U.S. 58 was still closed while crews continued to work on the spill.

Contact Denice Thibodeau at or (434) 791-7985.