At one point on Sunday, both the north and southbound lanes of I-81 between the mile markers 291 and 296 were shut down indefinitely. The cause was a tractor-trailer crash in Shenandoah County that is now being investigated by Virginia State Police.
According to VSP public information officer Sgt. Brent Coffey, it was a single-vehicle incident. Around 4 a.m., the truck was heading northbound on I-81 hauling 105 cattle. The driver, Shawn E. Alford, 59, of Grottoes, ran off the left side of the road and the truck hit a guardrail then flipped over.
Citizens, the Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office, and VDOT all worked to contain loose cattle after the crash. But 42 of the cows didn’t survive, Coffey reported. A veterinarian was called to the scene and had to euthanize 10 of the animals. Three were killed in separate crashes that occurred along I-81.
The southbound lanes didn’t reopen until 12:56 p.m. and the northbound portion reopened at 3:18 p.m.
Alford was wearing a seatbelt and wasn’t hurt. He has been charged with reckless driving but the crash remains under investigation, said Coffey.
WATCH: Footage of Hit & Crash in Powhatan
Follow the Watchful Eye on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram to keep up with what’s happening in Virginia!
