On the weekday afternoon of September 26, a tractor-trailer collided with a box truck in New Kent County, resulting in minor injuries, an eight hour road closure, and charges of reckless driving. The smoldering remains of a commercial vehicle accident were nearly all that was left of a tractor-trailer following the fiery incident in Virginia last month.
The semi-truck accident occurred around 1pm on Interstate 64, near the exit to Bottoms Bridge. After losing control of his vehicle and veering off the freeway’s right shoulder, the driver of a box truck slammed into a tractor-trailer. As in many semi-truck accidents, police later determined that the semi-truck had been illegally stopped.
At the time of the crash, the semi-truck was loaded with tea bags, which helped spark a fire that quickly ignited both vehicles and even spread to a wooded area nearby.
Charged with improper stopping on the interstate, the 26-year-old tractor-trailer driver was transported to VCU medical center after the fire. Responders evaluated the 34-year-old driver of the box truck at the scene. Thankfully, both men escaped serious burns.
The wreck caused a backup for 10 miles along I-64, and the Virginia Department of Transportation wasn’t able to reopen the roadway until 9pm.
Tractor-trailer accidents, unfortunately, are capable of causing far more than a frustrating commute. The fire that engulfed the trucks in this incident could have threatened other drivers, and also had the potential to cause far more harm than it did.
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles classifies reckless driving as a serious violation, and more than one violation can lead to license disqualifications from the state if the person charged was operating a commercial vehicle.
Source: The Richmond Times-Dispatch, “I-64 in New Kent reopens after fiery truck wreck,” Sept. 27, 2012.
