At 09:16, Abingdon Fire was alerted to a multiple vehicle accident on Interstate 81 in the Northbound lane around the 17 mile marker. A truck traveling Southbound ran off the Interstate, traveled through the median, and hit a tractor-trailer traveling in the Northbound lane. The truck was hauling steel plates that are used by the railroad to attach the rails to the cross ties. The driver of the truck was transported to Johnston Memorial Hospital by EMS with minor injuries. The truck and cargo were moved from the roadway by Virginia Department of Transportation loaders to open the Interstate for travel. Clean-up was delayed until 20:00 hours to avoid the heavier traffic flow. Chief 201, Rescue Engine 205, Battalion 209 and Utility 210 responded along with units from the Washington County Life Saving Crew, Abingdon Ambulance Service, Virginia State Police, Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Emergency Management and Norfolk Southern Railroad. The tractor-trailer traveling Northbound sustained major damage to its trailer and came to rest several hundred feet North of the main accident. Fire units cleared the scene around 11:00 when a second call was received in reference to a tractor-trailer hitting a utility pole that caused major power outages for many people in the area most of the day.