Buxton Maine Man Killed in a Freak Virginia Traffic Crash

A Buxton, Maine man is dead and his passenger is hospitalized after a freak crash with a tractor-trailer in Virginia.

Who Was the Victim in This Crash?

Mark J. Fanning, 76, of Buxton, Maine died Saturday in a crash on I-81 in Augusta County, Virginia. WCAV-TV in Charlottesville, Virginia reports the crash happened just after 6:00 in the morning, at the interchange of interstates 81 and 64. Fanning was a passenger in a Toyota Tacoma, being driven by his wife, Cynthia L. Fanning, 58, also of Buxton.

How Did It Happen?

Virginia State Police say a Mack tractor-trailer was heading west on 64, when the driver took the ramp to get onto the southbound lane of I-81. For some reason, the tractor-trailer went off the right side of the road and through the guardrail, landing in the northbound lanes of I-81, where it hit the Fanning's Tacoma.

Cynthia Fanning was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries, while Mark Fanning died at the scene. The tractor-trailer driver, Ronald W. Wenger, 59, of Broadway, Virginia also suffered serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital. Police say all three people were wearing their seat belts. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.

Is the Tractor-Trailer Driver Facing Charges?

The investigation into this crash is ongoing, but police have charged Wenger with reckless driving.

Our sincerest condolences go out to the Fanning's family and friends.

We'll update this story as more details become available.