State Police probe fatal Wythe County crash

Virginia State Police is investigating a fatal crash that occurred Nov. 30, 2024, at 12:15 a.m. on Interstate 81 northbound at the 59-mile marker in Wythe County.

A 2014 Chrysler Town and Country van was stopped in the right lane of Interstate 81 when it was struck from behind by a 2018 Freightliner Cascadia tractor trailer.   The tractor trailer then went off of the left side of the road, struck a guardrail, overturned, and caught fire.   The Chrysler first went off of the right side of the road, came back into traffic, and then went off the left side of the road and struck the guardrail.

A passenger in the Town and County, Sarah Ann Williams, 73, of Kinston, N.C., was taken to an area hospital where she died of her injuries.  Two other people in the vehicle, Marquerite Clegg, 77, of Godwin, N.C., and John Clegg, 78, suffered serious injuries.  It could not be determined who was driving the vehicle.

The two occupants of the tractor trailer fled the scene. They were arrested shortly afterwards. Harpinger Singh and Kamaljeet Singh, both of Tracy, Calif., were charged with felony hit and run.

The crash remains under investigation.