3-vehicle crash kills Alexandria, Virginia woman

With vehicles traveling at high speeds at all times of day, interstates can be dangerous places for drivers. That’s especially true when traffic is stopped at any place on the highway. Such circumstances led to the death of an Alexandria, Virginia, woman in a recent auto accident, according to a report in the Fairfax Times.

The three-vehicle crash on Interstate 81 in Pulaski County kept closed down that portion of the highway for close to eight hours, according to the newspaper report. Virginia State Police said the accident occurred a little after 1 p.m. on Oct. 19 in the southbound lanes of I-81.

According to authorities, a 45-year-old Ashburn man was driving a tractor-trailer south on the interstate when he approached stopped traffic due to a lane closure for bridge construction. The driver could not stop his tractor-trailer in time, so he swerved left in an attempt to avoid hitting the stopped vehicles ahead. The truck struck another vehicle, and then rolled onto its side in the median.

The impact knocked the passenger into the rear of another southbound tractor-trailer, and the driver of that vehicle, a 47-year-old woman, died at the scene. No one else was injured. Police have initially charged the driver of the first tractor-trailer with reckless driving, but the accident remained under investigation, according to the Fairfax Times report.

While nothing can make up for the loss of a loved one, the survivors of anyone killed in a tragic accident such as this should be aware of their rights in a court of law. Compensation can be made available through civil litigation in some circumstances, particularly when fault in the accident is clearly established as driver negligence.

Sources: Fairfax Times, “Fairfax County public safety notes,” Oct. 26, 2012;