NEWPORT NEWS — According to a report from the Virginia-Pilot newspaper’s website, an overturned tractor-trailer caused eastbound Interstate 64 lanes to shut down early Tuesday morning which caused major traffic delays as reported by the Virginia State Police.
The media outlet reported that traffic was backed up by about two miles, citing data from the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Authorities said the crash happened at 3:34 a.m., around the 257 mile marker, between Oyster Point Road and J. Clyde Morris Boulevard. State police said the crash originally caused all eastbound lanes to close.
Police said the driver of the truck, Abdelhadi Bencherifa of Pennsylvania, fell asleep at the wheel when he ran off the roadway into a ditch. He has been charged with reckless driving and failure to maintain proper control of the vehicle, a state police statement said.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
