FREDERICK COUNTY, VA — A driver faces a reckless driving charge after a violent crash on Interstate 81 in Frederick County killed two truck drivers and triggered oxygen tank explosions, Virginia State Police said.
The wreck happened Thursday evening near Exit 310 and involved a passenger car, a southbound tractor-trailer and a northbound truck carrying oxygen tanks. Investigators said the car failed to yield while entering southbound I-81, crossed two lanes and struck the tractor-trailer.
That collision sent the tractor-trailer across the median and into the northbound truck, setting off a fire and explosions. Police said the case remains under investigation and more charges could follow after consultation with the Frederick County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
State police identify the two men who died in the crash
Virginia State Police identified the men killed in the wreck as Russell R. Haskins, 64, of Altavista, Virginia, and Jeffrey J. Hudnell, 52, of Philadelphia.
Haskins was driving the tractor-trailer that was hit first. Police said he died at the scene. Hudnell was behind the wheel of the truck carrying oxygen tanks and suffered serious injuries before later dying at a hospital.
The crash brought together two large commercial vehicles in a chain reaction that left both drivers dead. Police have not released additional information about the exact medical treatment Hudnell received before his death.
How the collision unfolded on southbound Interstate 81
Investigators said the passenger car entered southbound I-81 and did not yield to traffic already on the interstate. It then crossed two lanes and struck the southbound tractor-trailer.
After that impact, the tractor-trailer went through the median and slammed into a northbound truck loaded with oxygen tanks. State police said the crash happened around 8:10 p.m. on Sept. 10.
The sequence turned a single failed merge into a multi-vehicle crash across both directions of the highway. The force of the impact helped create the fire that later caused the oxygen tanks to explode.
Oxygen tanks exploded after the fire and damaged nearby vehicles
State police said the fire that followed the collision caused the oxygen tanks to explode. The blasts added to the severity of the scene and created additional damage beyond the vehicles directly involved in the wreck.
The exploding tanks damaged a Frederick County sheriff’s vehicle and another vehicle in a lot east of the interstate. The deputy whose vehicle was hit was not hurt.
Police did not say how many tanks were on the truck or how long firefighters worked at the scene. Even so, the explosion made this crash stand out as one of the most destructive recent incidents on that stretch of highway.
Driver of passenger car charged with reckless driving
Police identified the driver of the passenger car as Mario A. Saldivar-Romaro of Rockingham, Virginia. He was not hurt in the crash.
Authorities charged him with reckless driving after the investigation into the wreck’s initial cause. That charge reflects police findings that the car failed to yield and set off the chain of events that followed.
Virginia State Police said additional charges remain possible once investigators finish consulting with the Frederick County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. No court details were included in the information released by police.
Investigation continues as officials review the deadly highway wreck
The crash remains under investigation, and police have not announced a final determination about every factor involved. For now, the known facts point to a failure to yield, a violent cross-median collision and the explosion of oxygen tanks carried by one of the trucks.
The wreck also shows how quickly an entry onto a busy interstate can turn deadly when traffic movements go wrong. In this case, the collision left two commercial drivers dead and damaged property well away from the main impact point.
Virginia State Police have said they will continue working with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office as they consider whether to pursue more charges.
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