Multiple vehicles strike man on I-81

By Stephanie Porter-Nichols
Published: September 14, 2010
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By DAN KEGLEY/Staff
Virginia State Police on Tuesday were still investigating an accident on Interstate 81 early Saturday morning that left a New York man dead.
VSP said Stanwell Leon Pantaleon, 27, of Brooklyn, N.Y., died at the scene of the 1:15 a.m. wreck Sept. 11 three-tenths of a mile north of Route 683 and the Exit 54 off-ramp.
Southbound Pantaleon was driving a 2000 Honda Civic when he fell asleep, VSP spokeswoman Corinne Geller said Tuesday. The car ran off the left side of the road and Pantaleon awoke and overcorrected, Geller said.
“The car then came back onto the roadway and crossed over both southbound lanes. The Civic ran off the right side of the interstate, struck the guardrail, overturned and finally came to rest in the southbound lanes of I-81,” Geller said.
“Within seconds, a tractor-trailer struck the overturned Civic. The impact of the crash caused Pantaleon and his passenger, Selina Sobers, 27, to be ejected from the Civic,” Geller said.
VSP Sgt. Michael Conroy said Sobers’ address was unknown.
Conroy identified the tractor-trailer as a 2006 Volvo.
Pantaleon and Sobers were wearing seat belts, Geller said.
The tractor-trailer then struck Pantaleon and continued into the median before finally coming to a stop, the spokeswoman said.
The horrific chain of events was far from over.
Geller said the driver of a 2008 Chevrolet van was unable to avoid the crash and the van “struck Pantaleon, who was still lying in the roadway. The van immediately pulled off onto the right shoulder. A 2006 Saturn Ion was also unable to brake in time and ended up striking Pantaleon. The Saturn then ran off the left of the interstate,” Geller said.
Pantaleon died at the scene, and Sobers was transported by ambulance for treatment of life-threatening injuries, Geller said.
The driver of the tractor-trailer was Timothy W. Barker, 62, of Fort Myers, Fla. The Chevrolet van was driven by James L. Johnson, 48, of Granbury, Texas. The Saturn Ion’s driver was Jordon B. Adam, 24, of Powell, Tenn., Geller said.
None of the three was injured in the crash and all were wearing seat belts, Geller said.
The tractor-trailer driver, Barker, was not charged and the crash remains under investigation, Geller said.
Conroy said VSP Trooper J.E. Ferland is the investigator.
dkegley@wythenews.com



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