.....Advertisement.....
.....Advertisement.....
Monday, March 26, 2007

Tractor-trailer wreck closes I-81 lanes

A tractor-trailer accident closed northbound lanes of Interstate 81 in Montgomery County late Sunday night, Virginia State Police said.

Police said a tractor-trailer with Dale Snow Trucking of Elkin, N.C., overturned at mile marker 122 near Ironto and spilled the wood onto the highway. The truck was carrying 75,000 pounds of hardwood floor material.

The truck driver, Scotty Riffe, 33, of Traphill, N.C., was transported to Carilion New River Valley Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Riffe is going to be charged with failure to maintain control, police said.

Both lanes were closed and traffic was rerouted to U.S. 460.

Police reopened one northbound lane at 11:40 p.m. A VDOT spokesman said both lanes would be closed again at 2 a.m. today to complete the accident cleanup. It was unclear Sunday night how long that cleanup would take.

-- Ruth L. Tisdale

.....Advertisement.....