PULASKI COUNTY (WSLS 10) - Two troopers were recovering from minor injuries after being involved in a crash on Interstate 81 Tuesday morning in Pulaski County.
Virginia State Police said a northbound tractor-trailer stopped after becoming disabled - straddling the left lane and left shoulder of I-81 N near mile marker 96. Virginia State Police Sr. Trooper R.W. Hughes stopped behind the truck with his patrol vehicle's emergency lights activated.
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Trooper W.L. Stumbo III, pulled in and parked his marked state police patrol car about 500 feet behind Hughes,' to give oncoming traffic more advance warning of the lane closure. While parked in the left lane with its emergency lights activated, Trooper Stumbo's 2013 Ford Taurus was struck by a northbound 2002 Chevrolet Silverado at about 6 a.m. The Silverado then hit a northbound 2015 Kia Forte that was in the right lane.
Trooper Stumbo was sitting in his patrol car at the time of impact and was wearing a seat belt. He was taken to New River Valley Medical Center, and was treated and released.
Sr. Trooper Hughes was outside his patrol car and on foot when the crash happened. He was forced to jump over the guardrail to avoid being hit by the vehicles. Hughes suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
The driver of the Silverado, Andrew B. Caldwell, 41 of Elk Creek, was not injured in the crash and was wearing a seat belt. Caldwell was charged with reckless driving.
The driver of the Kia, a 54-year-old woman from Alabama, was transported to Lewis Gale Hospital in Pulaski for treatment of minor injuries. She was wearing a seat belt.