New Kent, VA--All lanes of westbound I-64 in New Kent County were closed for nearly 8 hours after two trucks collided in a fiery accident.
All westbound lanes were closed at mile marker 205, near the Route 249 exit, because of two trucks which caught on fire Wednesday afternoon around 1 PM. The highway re-opened just before 9 PM.
VDOT officials encouraged westbound drivers to get off at exit 211 to bypass the incident.
State Police officials said the fire started after a wreck involving a 2009 Volvo tractor trailer and a 2011 Freightliner box truck.
The driver of the box truck, 34-year-old Thomas P. Seay Jr. of Chesterfield, lost control of his vehicle and ran off onto the right shoulder of the roadway. The box truck struck then struck the tractor trailer which was improperly stopped by its driver, 26-year-old Jesse Robinson of Cheltenham, Maryland.
The tractor trailer was hauling bags of tea from Virginia Beach to York, Pennsylvania.
Both drivers suffered minor injuries, and Robinson was transported to VCU medical center. Seay was assessed by emergency crews at the scene.
Robinson was charged with improper stopping on the interstate, and Seay was charged with reckless driving.
As of 6:45 PM, there was a thirteen-mile mile back up on the highway.
The road is expected to remain closed into the Wednesday afternoon rush hour. Expect major delays.
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Copyright 2012 by Young Broadcasting of Richmond
