ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) — A man from North Carolina has died after a two-vehicle crash Monday morning on the James River Bridge.
The crash happened in the northbound lanes, but also caused a closure of the southbound lanes.
It happened around 10:49 a.m. just south of the drawbridge, per Virginia State Police spokesperson Sgt. Michelle Anaya.
The bridge was still blocked as of noon, but has since reopened.
A preliminary investigation revealed that 60-year-old Billy Ray Caulder, of Hope Mills, North Carolina, was driving a 2016 Ford transit van northbound when his vehicle stalled and ran out of fuel.
Caulder exited the vehicle to refuel the van, when the driver of a 2021 Nissan cargo van, Steve A. Wilkinson, swerved to avoid the stalled vehicle. The driver of the Nissan cargo van sideswiped the Ford van and struck Caulder who was thrown from the scene and later succumbed to his injuries.
The other driver was taken to Riverside Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, and was charged with reckless driving.
Neither alcohol nor speed were contributing factors.
No other details have been released at this time.
