Aila Boyd
aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
Virginia State Police are investigating a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 81 in Roanoke County that left three people dead and three others injured.
The crash occurred at 11:08 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22, on northbound I-81 near the 145-mile marker, according to state police.
Police said a 2014 Volvo tractor-trailer was traveling north when it ran off the right side of the roadway and struck a 2025 Honda Odyssey that was stopped on the right shoulder.
There were six occupants in the Honda, all from Charlotte, North Carolina. The driver, 65-year-old Lorraine Renee Williams; a passenger, 49-year-old Ebony Latasha Williams; and a 2-year-old child, Shazziyah Lesley, were transported to Roanoke Memorial Hospital, where they later died. Police said the adults were wearing seat belts and the child was properly secured in a child safety seat.
Three other passengers — a 63-year-old man, a 73-year-old man and a 10-year-old girl — were also wearing seat belts and were taken to Roanoke Memorial Hospital with injuries.
The driver of the tractor-trailer, 58-year-old El Hadji Karamoko Quattara, was wearing a seat belt and has been charged with reckless driving. Police said additional charges are pending.
The crash remains under investigation.
