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Multi-vehicle Pile-up on Virginia Interstate 81 Leaves Three People Dead

Tragedy struck once again on Interstate 81 in the Shenandoah Valley on Friday, November 21, 2008.  At about 11:20 a.m., with snow flurries and slick roads, Jose Alberto Sarmiento was driving an18-wheeler tractor-trailer southbound on I-81 at Mount Jackson -- going too fast for the conditions.  He hit several cars that had slowed because of the weather conditions.  One witness, Tony Coronado, an off-duty EMT from Manassas, saw Sarmiento fly by just before he crashed into the cars. 

Three people died, two of them small children.  Two others were injured as well.

Sarmineto has been charged with reckless driving.

Soutbound traffic on I-81 was at a standstill for several hours as emergency personnel worked to rescue the injured victims and police performed their investigation. 

I cannot imagine the heartache of the people who lost their family members.