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Video shows trooper, deputy pull driver from burning van on Virginia interstate

Top stories and weather in Richmond, Virginia on March 23, 2026
Video shows trooper, deputy pull driver from burning van on Virginia interstate
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WYTHE COUNTY, Va. — A Virginia State Police trooper and a Wythe County Sheriff's Department deputy rescued a driver from a burning vehicle along Interstate 81 last week.

State police were called to the scene of a crash on I-81 southbound just before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18.

State police say a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) was heading south and slowing for traffic in the left lane when it was rear-ended by a 2023 Ram 3500 van. The impact of the crash caused the van to catch on fire.

Video shows a trooper and a deputy pulling the driver of the van, Felipe Baez, 42, of Midland, Texas, to safety.

Baez suffered serious but no-life-threatening injuries and was taken to an area hospital. He has since been charged with reckless driving.

The driver of the CMV suffered minor injuries.

State police are still investigating the crash.

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