Two people are dead after a single-vehicle crash sent an SUV off westbound I-64 in Henrico County early Sunday morning, where it rolled down an embankment and caught fire. Virginia State Police said both occupants were pronounced dead at the scene around 6:30 a.m., just before the Parham Road exit, as investigators worked to identify them and untangle what happened in the moments before the crash.
According to 12onyourside.com, a 2016 Nissan Rogue ran off the roadway, traveled down an embankment, overturned and caught fire around 6:30 a.m. Sunday. The outlet reported the crash occurred before the Parham Road exit, known as Exit 181B, in Henrico County. State police have not released details on what caused the SUV to leave the roadway, and the investigation remains active.
Scene Near Parham Road Snarled Traffic for Hours
The wreck triggered significant backups along westbound I-64 as crews worked the scene. As of 9:54 a.m. Sunday, the west center lane, right lane and right shoulder of I-64 westbound remained closed in the area, with traffic backups extending roughly 1.5 miles, per wric.com. The same report noted that state troopers were working to identify both occupants of the vehicle and that the crash remained under investigation.
WTVR CBS 6 News, which confirmed the fatalities with Virginia Statewide Incidents, reported that the Virginia Department of Transportation identified the closures near mile marker 182.2 and that the department's crash reconstruction team was assisting with the ongoing probe, according to WTVR. That outlet described the story as developing, noting updates may follow as more details emerge.
Second Deadly I-64 Crash in Henrico Within a Week
Sunday's crash marks the second fatal wreck on I-64 in Henrico County in recent days. A separate multi-vehicle crash on Nov. 1 killed two people and hospitalized three others on the same interstate, according to wric.com. In that incident, a Hyundai struck the rear driver-side of a 2010 Lexus RX350 before colliding head-on with a 2023 Infiniti QX60, the outlet reported.
No information about the identities of those killed in Sunday's crash had been released as investigators continued their work. Virginia State Police have not indicated when that identification process might conclude, and the cause of the crash remains part of the ongoing investigation.
