Chain reaction crash on I-81 in Botetourt Co.

A chain reaction crash caused a five-mile long traffic back-up on Interstate 81 Sunday afternoon.

State Police tell us the crash happened near Buchanan in Botetourt County, on Interstate 81 northbound, around 1:30 p.m. (Click here for a map)

The investigating trooper told WSLS that traffic had slowed down for an unknown reason, on the uphill part of I-81 northbound, just past the James River bridge.

Then one car had to slow to a stop, followed by a second car.  However, the trooper said a third car being driven by Harry Biser from North Carolina could not stop in time.  The trooper said Biser’s car rear-ended the second car that stopped, and that second car rear-ended the first car that had stopped.

Luckily, no one was seriously hurt.

The trooper wrote Biser a citation for following too close.