New information in tanker crash case
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Tanker Crash Update
New information about the deadly tanker truck crash on Rt. 220 that happened this past Saturday nightRelated Links
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Published: July 14, 2008
Updated: July 17, 2008
Updated 6:14 p.m VDOT says it will close one northbound lane of Route 220 tonight at 10:00 p.m., so repair crews can put up 600 feet of guardrail.
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New information about the deadly tanker truck crash over the weekend.
WilcoHess LLC faxed a statement to WSLS this morning. In it, the company says one of its trucks and drivers from Raphine were involved in the tanker crash on Route 220 in Roanoke Saturday night.
Police say the truck drove through a guardrail on Route 220 northbound, just before the Franklin Road exit. The truck went down a hill, and then a massive inferno sparked, around 10:00 p.m. Saturday night.
Officers found the truck driver’s body next to the truck. His name has not been released. WSLS has learned that he was relatively new to the company, but had previous truck driving experience.
10 On Your Side’s John Carlin spoke with a witness who says she was right behind the tanker when the driver lost control. Monica and Gary Godby were in town for a car show over the weekend.
Monica says the couple was driving in the center lane of Route 220 northbound lat Saturday night, when the tanker passed them on the right. Monica says they were driving the speed limit, which is 55 MPH in that area, and the truck went by much faster. “He wasn’t driving like he was asleep, he was driving like he needed to make up some time. He was going really fast,“ Monica said.
Monica believes the driver realized he was going into the turn too fast, before the Franklin Road exit, and was not cut-off by another vehicle.. “He slid down that rail a good 3-5 seconds before he went over. It was a grinding metal sound and you could see sparks when the truck was laying on it’s side,“ Monica told us.
Monica says her husband Gary started to get out of their car to try to help the tanker’s driver, but the explosion happened before he could shut off their car.
Reader Reactions
The problem with traffic enforcement is the jersey wall…no turnaround. Have to run rear radar on side of road and people know this.
I go to a Doctor in Roanoka and have to drive on i-81 to 581. On 581 the speed is 55. I have had cars aon semi-trucks almost run me off the road. Where are the Police on this road? Is it going to take someone to loose their life before something is done? Now almost every time I need to go to the doctor my husband takes me.
Something needes to be done to make this road safe! Alot of these semi-trucks are taking over the road as if we are not on these roads. Please do something to stop these semi-trucks from speeding. I think that everyone of them that go over the speed limited needs to spend a night or two in jail. This will stop the speeding.
I drive 100+ miles per day on I-81. I see alot of dangerous driving out of semi-truck drivers…but an equally amount of dangerous/aggressive driving out of those driving cars. Is it worth your life to make up a few minutes of time?
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