UPDATE: The West Virginia Turnpike Police have released the identity of the tractor-trailer driver who died early this morning.
Mearion Bateman, 65, from Hubbard, Ohio died on the scene when he lost control of the tractor-trailer and it went sliding into the median.
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BECKLEY (WOAY) – Emergency crews were called to the scene shortly after midnight to an accident on I-77.
Corporal Morton with the West Virginia Turnpike Police, says it happened at around mile marker 41 on I-77 southbound at around 12:30 am. The driver lost control causing the tractor-trailer to flip and slid into the median.
The tractor-trailer was a flatbed carrying industrial metal pieces and that scattered all throughout both southbound and northbound lanes of I-77. Morton says, a piece of the metal hit a driver going northbound and he was taken to the hospital and has been released.
Morton says, the metal pierced the diesel tank and that prompted the fire.
The driver of the tractor-trailer was a 65-year-old man from Hubbard, Ohio and he died on scene.
No names have been released at this time until family is notified.
Morton says, that a team will be sent out today to reconstruct the scene to see what may have caused the accident. It is still under investigation at this time.
Stay with WOAY News for further updates.
