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VERONA VA – (CVILLE RIGHT NOW/ROCKTOWN NOW) – UPDATED 6/9/25 1:40PM TO CLARIFY FROM A RESCUER THE DRIVER WAS NOT IN THE CAB AS PREVIOUSLY RPEORTED: Minutes before first responders arrived, it was total strangers who rushed to the aid of a trucker along Interstate 81 Saturday near Verona and VDOT now is investigating whether any work will need to be done on the bridge. Augusta County emergency management is thanking some of the drivers who witnessed Saturday’s fiery crash involving a tractor trailer and passenger vehicle. Several people rushed into the Middle River where the cab fell from a bridge. They looked for the driver initially in the cab, but one of the rescuers tells CvilleRightNow the driver was not there. They found him at the bottom of the river where they pulled him out. The trailer attached to the truck caught fire and blocked the north bound lanes of Interstate 81 for several hours.
Virginia State Police say three people were injured, including the driver of the truck, the passenger vehicle and one of those who jumped into the river. The driver of the tractor trailer was air lifted to the hospital with life threatening injuries. State Police are continuing to investigate the accident. Multiple emergency services including the Verona Volunteer Fire Company, Weyers Cave Volunteer Fire Company, Bridgewater Volunteer Fire Company, Staunton-Augusta County First Aid & Rescue, Grottoes Rescue Squad, Air Care 5 and Augusta County Fire and Rescue responded to the scene.
The Middle River bridge has been the scene of several accidents over the years including an accident involving a gas tanker in the late 1990’s. The driver of that truck died in the accident and the tanker exploded, causing damage to the bridge. The condition of the truck driver is unknown at this time.