WYTHE COUNTY, Va. – UPDATE
A Virginia State Trooper and two Wythe County deputies were treated and released from the hospital for smoke inhalation after they helped rescue two commercial truck drivers following a crash Wednesday morning on southbound Interstate 81 in Wythe County.
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At approximately 4:16 a.m., a 2006 Toyota Corolla went off the left side of the highway near mile marker 66. The car hit a guardrail and came to a stop in the left lane. The driver then got out of the vehicle.
Two commercial trucks driving southbound tried to avoid the Corolla and its driver but ended up crashing into each other and overturning. That’s when one of the trucks caught fire.
While the state trooper was helping extricate one driver from his vehicle, the two Wythe County deputies rescued the driver trapped in the burning truck, according to State police.
The driver of the burning truck was taken to a nearby hospital with serious injuries. The Corolla driver and the other truck driver were also taken to hospitals with injuries that aren’t life-threatening, authorities said.
The crash is still under investigation.
UPDATE
This crash has been cleared, according to VDOT.
ORIGINAL STORY
If you’re driving southbound on Interstate 81 in Wythe County, expect delays!
A tractor-trailer crash at the 66.3 mile marker has closed all south lanes, and traffic backups are approximately 1 mile, according to VDOT. At this time, all southbound traffic is being detoured at Exit 70.
The Exit 67 On Ramp is closed.
Stay with 10 News for the latest traffic updates.