From News Release: Virginia State Police Trooper T.D. Sykes is investigating a seven-vehicle crash in Pulaski County. The crash occurred Dec. 27 at approximately 3:15 p.m. on I-81 at the 94 mile marker.
A tractor-trailer traveling NORTH on I-81 sideswiped a tractor-trailer traveling in the adjacent NORTHbound lane. The impact of that crash caused both tractor-trailers to run off the left side of the interstate and into the median. The first tractor-trailer came to a stop in the median. The second tractor-trailer continued across the SOUTHbound lanes of I-81, collided with/caused five passenger vehicles to crash, and then the tractor-trailer went over the guardrail off the right side of the SOUTHbound lanes.
The driver of the first tractor-trailer, Miriam U. Campbell, 32, of Gastonia, N.C., was wearing a seat belt and was not injured in the crash. Trooper Sykes charged her with reckless driving.
The driver of the other tractor-trailer – who is from Tennessee – was wearing his seat belt and was not injured in the crash.
A female adult passenger in one of the five passenger vehicles was flown to Roanoke Memorial Hospital for treatment of serious, but non-life threatening, injuries. Two other individuals among the five passenger vehicles were treated and released at a nearby hospital for minor injuries. A fourth person was treated at the scene for minor injuries.
