Virginia State Police Trooper J.S. Martin is investigating a crash that resulted in a highway worker being seriously injured early Thursday morning (June 16).
At 6:55 a.m., a 2006 Kia minivan was traveling south on Interstate 81 at the 213 mile marker when it ran off the left side of the road. The vehicle struck the guardrail, crossed back over the southbound lanes and ran off the right side of the interstate where it struck a cement bridge guardrail.
There were highway construction workers on the bridge at the time the Kia crashed. In an attempt to avoid the oncoming vehicle, both workers jumped onto the guardrail.
One adult male worker was grazed by the vehicle’s bumper and suffered a minor injury.
A second worker, a 49-year-old New Jersey man, fell over the guardrail and landed on a grassy embankment approximately 15 feet below. That worker was flown to UVA Medical Center for treatment of life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the minivan, Marlene Jackson, 53, of Troutdale, Va., suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene. She was charged with reckless driving.
The crash remains under investigation at this time.