Two killed after I-81 crash triggers oxygen tank explosion in Frederick County, Virginia
Virginia State Police say a multi-vehicle crash near Exit 310 sent a tractor-trailer into oncoming traffic and into a truck carrying oxygen tanks, killing two drivers.
HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW
The crash happened around 8:10 p.m. Sept. 10 near Exit 310 on I-81. Virginia State Police say a passenger car failed to yield while merging onto southbound I-81. That car struck a tractor-trailer. The tractor-trailer crossed the median into the northbound lanes. It then struck a truck carrying oxygen tanks. The resulting fire caused the oxygen tanks to explode. Russell R. Haskins, 64, died at the scene. Jeffrey J. Hudnell, 52, later died at a hospital. The passenger-car driver was charged with reckless driving. Additional charges remain possible. A nearby sheriff’s vehicle was damaged, but the deputy inside was not hurt.
Two people are dead and another driver is facing charges after a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 81 in Frederick County, Virginia, triggered a fire and explosion involving oxygen tanks Thursday night.
Virginia State Police said the crash happened around 8:10 p.m. Sept. 10 near Exit 310. According to the preliminary investigation, a passenger car was attempting to merge onto southbound I-81 when the driver failed to yield, crossed two lanes and collided with a southbound tractor-trailer.
The impact sent the tractor-trailer off the left side of the highway, through the median and into the northbound lanes.
There, the tractor-trailer collided with a truck carrying oxygen tanks. The collision sparked a major fire and caused the tanks to explode. The blast was powerful enough to damage a nearby Frederick County Sheriff’s Department vehicle and another vehicle parked east of the interstate, according to FOX 5’s report based on information from Virginia State Police.
Police identified the driver of the tractor-trailer as Russell R. Haskins, 64, of Altavista, Virginia. He died at the scene.
The driver of the oxygen truck, Jeffrey J. Hudnell, 52, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, suffered severe injuries and later died at a local hospital.
The driver of the passenger car, identified by state police as Mario A. Saldivar-Romaro of Rockingham, Virginia, was not injured.
Virginia State Police charged Saldivar-Romaro with reckless driving and said additional charges are possible following consultation with the Frederick County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
A deputy who was inside the sheriff’s vehicle damaged by the explosion was not injured.
Virginia State Police say the crash remains under active investigation.
The incident caused a major emergency response along I-81 and highlighted the severity of the chain-reaction crash, particularly once one of the vehicles involved crossed into the opposite lanes and struck the oxygen-carrying truck.
Drivers looking for current road conditions or detour information in the area around Exit 310 are being directed to the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Staunton District.
WHAT IT MEANS
This was not a typical highway collision. The crash became far more dangerous when one of the tractor-trailers crossed the median and struck a vehicle carrying oxygen tanks, creating a major fire and explosion hazard.
The investigation is still active, and because police say additional charges are possible, the legal side of the case may continue to develop.
Original reporting referenced by Everything Frederick:
FOX 5 DC — Reporting by Tyler Thrasher →Want more Frederick updates like this?
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