Greene wreck kills sheriff’s investigator

STANARDSVILLE — A Greene County sheriff’s investigator was killed in a fiery crash Thursday afternoon on Route 230 near the Greene Hills Golf Course.

The investigator, whose name had not been officially released late Thursday, died on the scene from injuries he sustained when a tractor-trailer smashed into his four-door sedan at 1:22 p.m., igniting a fire that engulfed both vehicles.

According to the Virginia State Police, the investigator’s vehicle had been traveling in the eastbound lanes of Route 230 when it swerved off the right side of the road. When the investigator attempted to get back on the road, his vehicle crossed the centerline and was T-boned by the truck.

The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured in the crash, according to authorities. The driver’s identity was not released.

Trooper J.A. Taylor of the state police is investigating the accident, along with the Virginia State Police Crash Reconstruction Team and Motor Carrier Troopers. The investigation is ongoing, police said. As of Thursday night, police had not announced any charges in connection with the wreck.

It could not be determined Thursday whether the sheriff’s investigator was on duty at the time of the wreck or what type of vehicle he was driving.

As a result of the investigation and the clean-up effort, Route 230 remained closed for hours Thursday.

As heavy rain poured on the scene, a tow truck removed the investigator’s vehicle at around 7:40 p.m. The car had been reduced to a twisted and charred mess of metal. Remaining inside the car was a work boot, blackened and covered with debris.

Meanwhile, a dozen workers sought to remove the parts of the tractor-trailer, which had apparently been carrying wooden pallets.

As the workers hooked a winch to the truck’s remains, much of it fell apart, as it had been all but destroyed by the blaze.

Additional details of the wreck are expected to be released at a news conference today. Greene County Sheriff J. Scott Haas declined to comment Thursday.

The crash in Greene County was the third major accident in the last two days involving a tractor-trailer in the Charlottesville area.

At around 6:30 a.m. Thursday, a tractor-trailer traveling southbound on U.S. 29 crashed a mile north of Ruckersville, spilling its load of fruit across the highway. The accident caused U.S. 29 to be closed until 4:30 p.m., as workers removed the truck and cleaned up a diesel fuel spill.

Yet another tractor-trailer accident occurred Wednesday, when a truck carrying saw dust overturned on U.S. 29 near Interstate 64, tying up traffic for five hours.