LYNCHBURG, Va. – UPDATE (May 18 at 9:28 a.m.)
Authorities have identified the man they said died in a tractor-trailer crash in Amherst County on Monday afternoon.
Richard Dalton, 44, of Monroe died at the scene, according to State Police. Authorities said he was driving a sedan when a recliner flew off a pickup truck in front of him on US-29.
According to police, Dalton braked but was unable to avoid the recliner and a tractor-trailer was unable to stop before hitting Dalton’s car.
State Police said the crash is under investigation and charges are pending.
UPDATE (May 17 at 8:05 p.m.)
A man is dead after a tractor-trailer crash on US 29 in Amherst County.
Virginia State Police said a Chevrolet S10 pickup truck was traveling south on US 29. As it was crossing the Carter Glass Memorial Bridge, a recliner it was hauling fell from the pickup truck and into the southbound lane.
Traveling behind the pickup truck was a sedan and tractor-trailer. Authorities said the driver of the sedan stepped on the brakes suddenly but hit the recliner. However, the driver of the tractor-trailer was unable to stop in time and hit the sedan.
The driver of the sedan, an adult male, died at the scene. Police said he was wearing a seatbelt and was the only passenger in the vehicle.
State police said they are still in the process of notifying the man’s next of kin.
The pickup truck was not damaged in the crash, and the driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured in the crash, according to police.
Charges are pending and the crash remains under investigation.
ORIGINAL STORY
Drivers in Lynchburg were being diverted off of US 29 Business for a couple of hours as they drove from Amherst County into Lynchburg.
A tractor-trailer crash temporarily closed all southbound lanes and closed a single lane of northbound traffic on the Carter Glass Bridge.
Southbound traffic was being detoured onto Virginia 210 and then onto Virginia 163.
Below is an approximate location of the crash: