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Two dead in head-on crash on Interstate 64 in Albemarle County

Chris Graham

Two people are dead after a head-on crash near the 114 mile marker on Interstate 64 in Albemarle County early Sunday.

interstate 64At 6:04 a.m.Sunday (July 16, 2017), Virginia State Police were notified of a green pickup truck driving recklessly in the westbound lanes of Interstate 64 in Albemarle County.

Several minutes later, a second report was called in about a green pickup truck in the Emergency Vehicle Crossover in the I-64 median. As state police were responding, the pickup truck drove through the crossover and began driving the wrong way in the eastbound lanes of I-64.

At 6:09 a.m., state police were notified of a head-on collision in the eastbound lanes of I-64 at the 114 mile marker in Albemarle County. The green Isuzu pickup truck was traveling west in the eastbound lane when it struck head-on an eastbound Hyundai sedan. The impact of that crash caused the vehicles to strike an eastbound Ford F-150 utility pickup truck.

The driver of the Isuzu, Winston J. Smith II, 32, of Staunton, Va., died at the scene. He was wearing a seatbelt.

The driver of the Hyundai, Bethany M. Franklin, 30, of Troutville, Va., died at the scene. She was wearing a seatbelt.

The adult male driver of the F150 pickup was transported to UVA Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

The crash remains under investigation at this time.

Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham, the king of "fringe media," a zero-time Virginia Sportswriter of the Year, and a member of zero Halls of Fame, 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, or subscribe to his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].