A multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 81 resulted in six injuries, including three to law enforcement officers who were treated at the hospital for smoke inhalation.
A daring rescue took place after one of the vehicles caught fire, and two Wythe County deputies rescued the driver, who was transported to the hospital with serious injuries.
A Virginia State Police trooper also extricated another driver in the crash.
According to Virginia State Police, the crash occurred at 4:16 a.m. in Wythe County when the driver of a Toyota Corolla went off the left side of the interstate at the 66-mile marker. The driver struck the guardrail, and the vehicle came to rest in the left lane of interstate. The driver then exited the vehicle.
Following the initial crash, two commercial motor vehicles, also heading southbound, attempted to avoid the Corolla and driver. The two vehicles collided and overturned, causing one to catch fire.
The driver of the Corolla and the other driver in the second crash were transported to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
No names have been released.
The accident remains under investigation.