
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, April 7, 1994                   TAG: 9404070094
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                LENGTH: Short

TRACTOR-TRAILER DRIVER CHARGED IN WRECK

Traffic was backed up Wednesday morning for about five miles on Interstate 81 between Christiansburg and Ironto when a tractor-trailer wrecked, state police said.

William R. Clemons, 46, of Knoxville, Tenn., changed lanes while driving north toward Roanoke in a tractor-trailer loaded with beer kegs, state police said.

The rig struck a car driven by Stanley B. Chaffin of Floyd, knocking the car off the roadway and causing it to overturn. Chaffin was treated at Montgomery Regional Hospital and later released.

James Boggs of Christiansburg had to run his car into a median embankment to avoid striking the tractor-trailer, police said. The tractor-trailer fell on its side in the median.

Clemons was charged with making an improper lane change and with driving with alcohol in his system.

That's not the same as a driving-under-the-influence charge, police said. Commercial drivers may be charged with the motorist equivalent of DUI if they have a 0.04 percent blood-alcohol content.

Clemons' blood-alcohol content was less than that, but having a detectable amount of alcohol in his system still was a violation, police said.

Traffic was backed up for several hours; only one lane was open while the tractor-trailer was being removed.

by CNB