By Sheila Ellis
The Roanoke Times
ROANOKE, Va. — A wreck on Interstate 81 near the boundary between Roanoke and Montgomery counties had traffic backed up for up to 8 miles Sunday evening, according to state police Sgt. M.K. Brannock.
At 7 p.m., a state trooper was clearing debris from the interstate when he saw a tractor-trailer veering off the road, Brannock said. The tractor-trailer, which was carrying 30,000 pounds of produce, overturned in the right northbound lane near mile marker 126.
The trooper, Kenneth Kozar, jumped over a guardrail and rolled into a creek, Brannock said. He was taken to Carilion New River Valley Medical Center for a leg injury and released. The right lane remained closed for several hours. Charges are pending, Brannock said. No other injuries were reported.