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A semi-truck hauling a fresh load of timber was traveling northbound in the left lane of Interstate 85. Ongoing repair work had shut down the right lane. When the tractor-trailer had to slow down due to a traffic stop, it was followed by a pickup truck and a Coach America charter bus. The coach driver, for a yet unknown reason, could not stop on time and slammed into the pickup truck, which ended up crushed between the bus and the logging truck. The accident happened Friday, near mile marker 59.
According to Virginia State Police Sergeant Thomas Molnar, there were four people in the pickup truck, three of whom died at the scene. A MedFlight helicopter flew the fourth person to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Medical Center with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
The names of the victims had not yet been disclosed at the time of this report.
The logging truck driver was not injured, while the bus driver was taken by ambulance to VCU Medical Center with serious injuries.
The left lane of I-85 remained closed for nearly six hours. Police have charged the bus driver, Marlverse L. Vanloan, 56, for having started the vehicle pileup.
The coach carried 49 A&T State University students and one chaperone from North Carolina to Baltimore, on their way to a conference of the National Society of Black Engineers.
None of the bus passengers were injured.
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