Crash causes major backup on I-81 in Rockbridge County

Update: State Police say one lane is now open on I-81 near mile marker 182 in Rockbridge County.


ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY (WSLS 10) - A tractor-trailer crash on I-81 at mile marker 182 in Rockbridge County is causing major delays.

All south lanes are closed according to VDOT, and backups are approximately four miles. Southbound traffic is being detoured at I-81 South Exit 188 onto US-60, onto US-11 and back onto I-81 South at mile marker 180.

VSP Trooper Blevins says the crash happened Wednesday night at about 10:30 p.m. after traffic was already stopped due to another crash that happened earlier.

He says three tractor-trailers were involved in a chain-reaction crash. The driver of the first truck rear-ended the second truck, causing his cab to be trapped under the trailer. Police say this causes the cab of the second truck to lightly hit the third truck.

Blevins says the driver of the first truck was flown to Roanoke Memorial Hospital after crews freed him from the cab. He is expected to be ok.

The drivers of the second and third trucks were checked on-scene and are both ok.

Police do not yet have an estimate of when the crash will be clear. Becuase of the time of the crash, police say many drivers had fallen asleep due to the time traffic was stopped.