The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office has released the name of the Norfolk Southern employee killed yesterday in a traffic accident near Blacksburg. Officials say 40-year-old Keith Whited of Castlewood was driving a NS work truck that crossed the center line and struck an oncoming SUV.
UPDATED NEWS RELEASE: Based upon the preliminary investigation of the 09/25/2019 crash involving fatality on Jennelle Road it appears that the driver of the N&S truck left the right side of the roadway and overcorrected while trying to maintain control of the vehicle. He then crossed the center line into on‐coming traffic where he struck the Ford SUV in the side causing both vehicles to overturn. Diesel fuel spilled from the tank of the N&S truck resulting in the vehicle catching fire. The driver of the N&S work truck, 40 year old Keith E. Whited of Castlewood, VA, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Ford SUV, Alexander S. Zuchowicz of Blacksburg, VA, was transported to Montgomery Regional Hospital with what appeared to be non life threatening injuries.
PREVIOUS: The driver of a Norfolk Southern work truck was killed today in a crash with an SUV. It happened on Jenelle Road near Blacksburg in Montgomery County. The sheriff’s office has not yet released the victim’s identity. Authorities say hazmat teams were called to the scene because the work truck spilled diesel fuel.
NEWS RELEASE: On September 25, 2019 at approximately 8:26 a.m., our office responded to a crash involving a Norfolk & Southern work truck and a Ford SUV in the 900 block of Jennelle Road near the intersection with Cedar Run Road. Blacksburg Fire Department, Blacksburg Rescue Squad, and Blacksburg Police Department also responded to the scene. Upon arrival, Blacksburg Rescue Squad transported the driver of the SUV to the hospital, the seriousness of the injuries are not known at this time. The driver of the N&S work truck was pronounced dead at the scene. Blacksburg Fire Department, Christiansburg Fire Department, and Roanoke Valley Regional Hazardous Materials team were on scene due to the N&S work vehicle fire and an associated diesel fuel spill from a tank on the truck. The Sheriff’s Office Crash reconstruction team responded due to the fatality involved. Once both the initial investigation and family notifications have been completed we will provide an update. Traffic along Jennelle Road is currently being detoured due to the incident.
