PULASKI COUNTY, Va. — Virginia State Police are investigating a series of multi-vehicle crashes on Interstate 81 in Pulaski County in which one driver was killed and another driver was charged, the Pulaski Patriot reported on Monday, October 26, publishing the state police account of the October 21 crashes.

Source: Pulaski Patriot, reporting Virginia State Police

The crashes happened at about 5:35 a.m. on Wednesday, October 21, on northbound I-81 at the 95-mile marker. According to the preliminary state police investigation, a Volkswagen Passat struck a deer, ran off the left side of the interstate and hit a guardrail, then came to rest in the roadway, where it was struck by a Honda Ridgeline. A Freightliner tractor-trailer then stopped abruptly to avoid the Passat, and a further crash followed involving the Freightliner, a Ford F-250, a Ford Ranger and a Ford Explorer.

Source: Pulaski Patriot, reporting Virginia State Police

The driver of the Passat, Kaine M. Danieley, 29, of Bluefield, Virginia, was found dead about 40 feet below the I-81 bridge. State police said their preliminary investigation indicates Danieley likely jumped to avoid a possible collision. Pulaski County dispatch audio from that morning independently recorded callers reporting that a person may have jumped over the bridge, a truck-trailer striking another vehicle, and at least three to four vehicles involved near mile marker 95.9.

Source: Pulaski County emergency dispatch transcript, via CrimeRadar

The driver of the Ford F-250, Randall D. Johnson Sr., 69, of Draper, Virginia, was injured and taken to an area hospital, and was charged with following too closely, state police said. No other drivers suffered apparent injuries. The crashes remain under investigation.

Source: Pulaski Patriot, reporting Virginia State Police