A box truck driver was pulled from his burning car by other drivers after a crash on Route 28 by Sully Road and Sterling Boulevard on Sept. 18, authorities said.
A Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office news release said the accident occurred at 6:52 p.m. when a southbound Nissan Altima collided with the southbound truck, which flipped onto the shoulder and caught fire. The Nissan also struck a southbound Toyota Prius.
A press release from the Loudoun County Joint Fire and Rescue System said two victims suffered burns. They added that firefighters moved quickly to extinguish the fire in the truck that was carrying food.
“The scene was complex, requiring firefighters to extinguish the fire while simultaneously caring for critically injured patients, all while our law enforcement partners were directing traffic on the busy road,” fire department spokeswoman Annemarie Antignano wrote. “LCFR’s hazmat team was dispatched to mitigate any fuel leaks. A total of four patients were evaluated and transported to local hospitals. No firefighter injuries were reported.”
In Virginia Department of Transportation video provided by LCSO, the Altima driver was in the middle lane and the truck driver was in the right lane of the three-lane road just before the accident occurred. The Altima appears to sweep the truck sideways, causing it to crash.
Four people were injured in a three-vehicle crash in Sterling on Sept. 23, including a box truck that flipped over and caught fire. The truck driver was seriously injured.
Courtesy photo/Loudoun County Joint Fire and Rescue System
Four people were injured in a three-vehicle crash in Sterling on Sept. 23, including a box truck that flipped over and caught fire. The truck driver was seriously injured.
Courtesy photo/Loudoun County Joint Fire and Rescue System
The unidentified truck driver was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. He was in critical condition on Sept. 19, according to Thomas R. Julia, LCSO chief spokesman. The drivers of the Nissan and Toyota were hospitalized, treated and released.
In a criminal complaint, Deputy First Class Tyler Bradley wrote that Nissan driver Jose Antonio Padilla Espinoza lost control of the truck before crashing into the truck. Padilla-Espinoza was arrested and charged with driving without insurance and driving unmarked, both misdemeanors. Padilla Espinoza, 18, of Charlotte, North Carolina, admitted he was driving without insurance, Bradley said.
“The vehicle he was driving had a temporary tag that had not been returned and did not come with a valid registration tag,” Bradley wrote. “The mark must be counterfeit in nature.”
José Antonio Padilla Espinosa
Courtesy photo/Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office
Padilla-Espinoza is in Virginia temporarily and moves from state to state to do work for a precast concrete company, the bond application said. He is being held without bail at the Loudoun Adult Detention Center and is scheduled to appear for a bail hearing at 1 p.m. in Loudoun General Court on September 20.
