A Virginia State Police trooper and a Wythe County Sheriff’s Department deputy helped a driver to safety after his van caught fire on Interstate 81 on Wednesday.
Police released dashcam footage of the incident today.
Virginia State Trooper D. Marshall arrived at the crash scene at 4:51 p.m. on I-81 southbound at the 70 mile marker.
According to the initial investigation, the fire started after an accident when the driver of the van struck a commercial vehicle that had slowed for traffic in the left lane of the interstate.
The driver of the van suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries on Wednesday evening. Felipe Baez, 42, of Midland, Texas, was taken to an area hospital for treatment. He has now been charged with reckless driving, according to VSP.
The driver of the commercial vehicle had minor injuries.
The crash remains under investigation.