Home Life-threatening injuries for highway worker in Interstate 81 crash
State/U.S. News

Life-threatening injuries for highway worker in Interstate 81 crash

Chris Graham

interstate 81Virginia 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.

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Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, TikTok, BlueSky, or subscribe to Substack or his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].

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