State Police have charged two men with reckless driving in the I-66 Centreville eight vehicles accident that including a tractor-trailer and resulted in one death, Saturday, Aug. 24 at 10:58 a.m.
It was a "series of chain-reaction crashes" said Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller. "Virginia State Police Trooper A.M. Hoye responded to the multi-vehicle crash in Fairfax County. The crash occurred in the westbound lanes of Interstate 66 east of Exit 53 (for Route 28)."
The chain-reaction crash involved five sedans, one SUV, one pickup truck and a tractor-trailer that overturned. Police have thus far determined both the driver of the BMW and the tractor-trailer were primarily at fault in the accident.
"A 2007 BMW sedan was traveling west on I-66 when it struck the vehicle in front of it," said Geller in a release. The BMW then collided with a westbound tractor-trailer.
The tractor-trailer then collided with several vehicles, to include a Toyota Rav4, before overturning in the roadway. The Toyota Rav4 ran off the right side of I-66 and over the Jersey wall, at which point it caught fire.
The investigation into Saturday's multi-vehicle crash continues.
Five individuals were transported to Reston Hospital and a sixth individual was flown to a trauma center in DC.
It was later determined that it was the driver of the Toyota, Joseph M. Castellano, 28, of McLean, Va., who died at the scene. His 28-year-old wife/passenger was flown to DC and is still being treated for life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the BMW, Jonathyn R. Bland, 40, of Centerville, Va., was transported to Reston Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. He has been charged with reckless driving.
The driver of the tractor-trailer, Shahbaz Singh, 34, of Fairfax, Va., was transported to Reston Hospital for treatment of serious, but non-life threatening, injuries. He was charged with reckless driving. The tractor-trailer was loaded with water bottles.
The three other individuals transported to Reston Hospital - one had serious, but non-life threatening injuries; and other two suffered minor injuries.
The Virginia State Police Fairfax County Crash Reconstruction Team is assisting with the ongoing crash investigation. Fairfax County Fire and Fairfax County Police assisted state police at the scene.
State Police have charged two men with reckless driving in the I-66 Centreville eight vehicles accident that including a tractor-trailer and resulted in one death, Saturday, Aug. 24 at 10:58 a.m.
