File this under the "Wait....what?!" category. On Friday (8/1) afternoon, John Wodecki, 79, of Centereach, N.Y., went to switch lanes on his way south on I-81. He apparently didn't see the 2009 International tractor-trailer driven by James Melton, 52, of Wytheville. The push veered Melton over the median, through the northbound lane, up a hill, through a fence, up another hill, and into the side of Rockingham Hall. I enjoyed this comment on the DNR's website: "Ever driven a semi up a hill at 60mph? #%&@ gets confusing." While it does seem crazy that it went so far and still couldn't stop, one has to take into consideration the weight that the semi could have been pulling, the fact that he was trying to slow down on grass, and the possibility that the initial hit from Wodecki's car could have messed up the internals of the engine or the drivetrain making it harder to slow down or steer.
Luckily, there was only one other car involved in the accident - David Walker, 54, of Houston - and there were no life-threatening injuries. Melton was transferred to UVA, while Wodecki was treated at RMH and released. In addition, it's a great thing that this happened in the summer while students were not living in the residence hall or things could have been much worse. The truck and both cars were totaled, and it looked like 2 rooms in Rockingham Hall had significant damage, but things could have easily been more damaging. A construction company has already been contacted to have the repairs done by the time the new students move in.
DNR article
HFD photos
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