A westbound I-64 crash at mile marker 217 in New Kent County killed two people Friday, according to preliminary information from Virginia State Police. The single-vehicle crash involved a pickup truck, and the investigation remained ongoing.
The vehicle involved was a 2023 GMC pickup truck, according to a preliminary investigation cited by WTVR CBS 6 News. Troopers said the truck overturned and caught fire during the crash, and the driver and passenger both died at the scene in New Kent County. State police were still working to confirm the identities of both victims and notify their next of kin as the investigation continued.
A Corridor With a Troubled Recent History
Friday's fatal crash landed just two weeks after another deadly wreck on the same stretch of westbound I-64 in New Kent County, when a tractor-trailer caught fire in a Sept. 4 collision investigated by Virginia State Police, as reported by WAVY TV 10.
The area sits near what transportation planners call “the I-64 gap,” a 29-mile bottleneck where the interstate narrows from six lanes down to four between Richmond and Hampton Roads, according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. Virginia Department of Transportation records place Segment A of the $209.5 million I-64 Widening Project between mile markers 204.9 and 215.6 in New Kent County. Construction began in late 2023 and is estimated for completion in summer 2027, with plans to add a third travel lane and 10-foot paved shoulders in each direction.
What the project records establish
The crash location at westbound mile marker 217 is beyond the listed limits of VDOT's Segment A widening project, which ends at mile marker 215.6. VDOT also lists a separate Segment C widening project from the New Kent-James City County line toward Exit 234, with estimated completion in fall 2027. State Police have not publicly identified a contributing factor or confirmed the crash's work-zone status.
VDOT Had Hired a Crash Expert
VDOT had hired a crash expert by February 2025 amid a spate of serious crashes in the area, according to a report from 12 On Your Side.
Speed enforcement in the area has been aggressive.
Neighboring County Followed Suit After Injury Spike
James City County began a vehicle-based-enforcement warning phase on adjoining sections of I-64 on Aug. 14.
Statewide, the numbers tell a similarly grim story. Preliminary Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles figures recorded 749 total traffic fatalities across Virginia in 2025, following 2024 state reports that documented more than 25,000 speed-related crashes causing 410 deaths. Under Virginia law, driving 20 mph or more over the posted limit — or faster than 85 mph regardless of the limit — is classified as reckless driving, a Class 1 misdemeanor that can carry up to six DMV demerit points and a potential license suspension, according to Riley & Wells Law.
More Traffic Is Coming to the Same Stretch
Traffic through the corridor is expected to grow further with New Kent County's approval of a 74,000-square-foot Buc-ee's travel center at Exit 211, featuring 120 fueling positions and slated to open sometime between late 2027 and 2029, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. The mega travel center would mark the chain's second location along a major Virginia interstate corridor.
Friday's crash remains under investigation by Virginia State Police. WTVR CBS 6 said it plans to provide updates as the investigation develops.
