Virginia officials have arrested and charged a truck driver after a crash that claimed two lives Wednesday on Interstate 95.
Fifty-eight-year-old Wheelman Andrews faces a reckless driving charge following a three-vehicle crash in Stafford County. Virginia State Police said Thursday that Andrews’ Freightliner tractor-trailer, hauling 78,000 pounds of beer, overturned on top of a Nissan Altima and Subaru Forester just before 5 a.m. on the northbound lanes of I-95 in Stafford County.
The Nissan’s driver, named Thursday as 50-year-old Johnathon Booth of Fredericksburg, and the Subaru’s driver, identified as 67-year-old Kevin Paddeu of Quinton, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Crash investigators believe the Freightliner tried to shift into the right lane while moving northbound on I-95 near mile marker 136, when it collided with the Nissan. Both vehicles then veered left and crashed into the Subaru.
“All three vehicles continued off the left side of the roadway and collided with the guardrail before the tractor-trailer overturned on top of the Nissan and Subaru,” police said in a news release.
Andrews was treated at a hospital for minor injuries, and was later taken into custody. He was released on an unsecured bond.
All three drivers involved in the crash were wearing seat belts, police added.
Northbound I-95 was closed for around five hours while a crash investigation took place. Anyone with information is asked to contact state police by calling 540-891-4108 or emailing questions@vsp.virginia.gov.
