Two Arlington residents and an Alexandria resident were killed in a crash in southwest Virginia Tuesday evening.

The crash happened around 6:20 p.m. in the southbound lanes of I-81 in Washington County, Va. From Virginia State Police:

A tractor-trailer traveling south on I-81 experienced a flat tire and pulled off onto the right shoulder to inspect the tire. As the tractor-trailer driver and passenger were walking back to the cab of the truck, a southbound Toyota Avalon ran off the left side of I-81. The driver of the Toyota overcorrected causing the car to slid sideways into the rear of the tractor-trailer.

The Toyota’s male driver, Abenezer D. Thewdros, 19, of Arlington, Va., and two male passengers, Abel N. Ayele, 19, of Arlington, Va., and Alemu S. Ameha, 25, of Alexandria, Va., all died at the scene. A third male passenger, Arketsadik Yilma, 19, of Alexandria, Va., was flown by Virginia State Police Med-Flight helicopter to Bristol Regional Medical Center for treatment of serious injuries.

Neither the tractor-trailer driver nor his passenger was injured.

The crash remains under investigation. Alcohol does not appear to have been a factor in the crash.

Southbound lanes were re-opened to traffic at approximately 9:30 p.m.