ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY, Va. — Virginia State Police are investigating a massive crash on Interstate 81 that left one man dead and several others injured Thursday evening. The chain-reaction collision, which involved 10 vehicles, happened at approximately 5:08 p.m. near the 181-mile marker on the northbound side of the highway.
Authorities confirmed that the pileup included six tractor-trailers, three passenger vehicles, and a medical transport van. Fortunately, there was no patient on board the medical van at the time of the crash. Multiple individuals suffered non-life-threatening injuries, while one driver tragically lost his life.
The victim has been identified as Abdiqadir Ahmed Nur, 36, of Shakopee, Minnesota. According to investigators, Nur was wearing his seatbelt but died at the scene after his vehicle collided with several tractor-trailers at the rear of the pileup. State police say heavy rainfall and slowed traffic from an earlier two-vehicle crash up the road played a role in triggering the deadly accident.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene, where a medical helicopter was dispatched to assist. However, poor weather conditions prevented the helicopter from transporting the driver of the medical transport van, who had sustained serious injuries. Instead, the driver was taken by ground ambulance to Rockbridge Community Hospital. Other injured individuals were also treated and transported by EMS teams.
The wreck shut down northbound traffic for hours, with troopers, hazmat crews, and VDOT personnel working late into the night. Fuel spills and debris from the tractor-trailers required specialized cleanup, while detours to Route 11 were established to help ease congestion. The interstate was finally reopened around 1:00 a.m. Friday, restoring traffic flow along the busy corridor.
The crash has renewed concerns about the dangers of heavy rain and high traffic volume on I-81, a highway often plagued by major wrecks. Virginia State Police confirmed that the investigation is ongoing, as they continue to piece together the sequence of events that led to the 10-vehicle pileup.