Crash sends truck driver to hospital

WOODSTOCK -- A Maryland man was flown to the University of Virginia Medical Center on Wednesday morning after driving his truck off Interstate 81 and onto Swartz Road, according to state police.

Heiberto Caballero's condition was not immediately known late Wednesday afternoon. Around 10:30 a.m., he was behind the wheel of a 2005 International truck heading south around mile marker 286.6 when he apparently fell asleep, Trooper A.S. Waybright said.

Caballero, 29, went off the right side of the interstate and hit the rumble strips, which woke him up, the trooper said. At that point, he overcorrected to the left and ran through the guardrail and a fence and went down a 25-foot embankment, landing on Swartz Road, Waybright said.

The truck hit the bottom of the embankment and went airborne before coming to rest. Caballero had to be extricated from the wreckage, Waybright said.

Swartz Road was closed for a period following the crash while I-81 remained open.

Daily Staff Report