Vehicle overturns on Interstate 81

STRASBURG -- A Woodstock man walked away from a spectacular crash on Interstate 81 on Friday and has no idea how it happened, according to the Virginia State Police.

An overturned vehicle is wrapped up in the guardrail of Interstate 81 north near Exit 298 outside of Strasburg on Friday afternoon. Andrew Thayer/Daily An overturned vehicle is wrapped up in the guard rail by Interstate 81. Andrew Thayer/Daily

Graham Gold, 18, of Woodstock, was headed north on I-81 in a 1997 Ford Explorer when he attempted to pull off the highway at the U.S. 11 exit just outside of Strasburg.

But something went wrong, and Gold "hit the guardrail head on and went end over end," said Trooper David Burkholder.

The vehicle landed on its roof, but Gold was uninjured.

Gold apparently made no effort to slow down before the crash, the trooper said, but speed was likely not a factor.

"The next thing he remembered was laying in the [roof] of the vehicle," Burkholder said.

Gold was charged with reckless driving.

Daily Staff Report