Deadly motorcycle crash on I-81 in Wytheville

5:52 p.m.

State Police Sgt. Michael Conroy tells WSLS that the accidents and back-up were caused by a deadly motorcycle crash.

Investigators believe the motorcycle’s driver was coming onto I-81 from I-77, then ran off of the road and into a culvert around 3:30 p.m.

Sgt. Conroy says that crash caused the traffic back-up that led to the second crash 10 minutes after the motorcycle crash, and less than half-a-mile behind it in the northbound lanes.  Conroy tells us a car rear-ended another car that was slowing for the traffic back-up, and pushed it into a third car.

EMTs airlifted one person to Roanoke Memorial Hospital.

Sgt. Conroy says both crashes have been cleared, and I-81 is back open.

————

4:43 p.m.

VDOT says there’s a two-mile long traffic back-up.

——

4:23 p.m.

VDOT says two accidents are blocking both northbound lanes of Interstate 81, near the I-77 spur toward West Virginia.