Fatal Portsmouth Tractor-Trailer Accident Claims Life of Car Driver

Crashes involving trucks and cars often result in serious injuries to drivers or passengers in the smaller vehicle. Tragically, a fatal Portsmouth tractor-trailer accident occurred in the early hours of this morning on Western Freeway.

News media reported the crash closed lanes on VA-164 for over seven hours. The crash occurred just before 3 a.m. on the eastbound lanes about half a mile away from the Towne Point Road exit in the Churchland area of Portsmouth. The accident scene was close to the Suffolk city line.

Police said the driver of the passenger vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene. Eastbound lanes re-opened shortly after 10 a.m.

Few details were available later Thursday about this fatal Portsmouth tractor-trailer accident and it’s not clear if charges will be brought against the truck driver. No other injuries were reported in the crash.

Our thoughts are with the family of the deceased driver. VDOT traffic cameras showed a high-sided truck up against a smaller vehicle.

Western Freeway is a busy commuter route that sees numerous accidents. Traffic from Churchland, Western Branch, Suffolk and even Newport News uses VA-164 to access the Downtown or the Midtown Tunnel to Norfolk during the morning commute. It also sees a heavy traffic build-up in the evening.

Last summer, the Western Freeway was closed down when a car with four people inside it crashed off the highway close to Cedar Lane in Portsmouth.

In March 2016, a single vehicle crash in the early hours of the morning on the Western Freeway killed one man and seriously injured another.

Drivers should take particular care at night and during periods of congestion on VA-164 when frustrations can boil over.

Fatal Portsmouth Tractor-Trailer Accident is the Latest Deadly Truck Wreck in Hampton Roads

In recent weeks, we have seen a series of serious and deadly truck accidents in Hampton Roads. Last month, a fertilizer truck unexpectedly swerved off Route 460 in the Isle of Wight and hit a car, killing two brothers from Chesterfield County.

The victims were John Mallory, 60, and his 65-year-old brother Earl Garnett Mallory.

When tractor-trailers, dump trucks or other kinds of big rigs are on the road, one mistake can be deadly. Many tractor-trailer wrecks occur in the early hours of the morning when truckers are fatigued.

Last year 94 fatal crashes involving commercial vehicles were recorded in Virginia. Trucking accidents led to 1,877 injuries.

If you have been hurt in a big rig crash, the trucking company will scramble to get experts on the scene to dispute your claims. The driver’s employer and other parties can typically be sued in these cases and the trucking companies try to avoid making big payouts. It’s vital to hire an experienced Portsmouth accident attorney who can ensure evidence is gathered quickly from the scene. At Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers, we have litigated many cases against trucking companies. See our results or call us at (757) 333-3333.