COURTLAND

One lane of Plank Road has reopened to alternating traffic following a single-vehicle accident involving an overturned tractor trailer hauling peanuts on Thursday morning.

The Southampton County Sheriff’s Office and units from the Courtland and Capron volunteer fire and rescue departments responded to the 13000 block of Plank Road near Sebrell earlier in response to the accident. Maj. Gene Drewery, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office, said the accident involved only the one vehicle, and confirmed that the driver had been ejected from his truck. Drewery did not know the extent of the driver’s injuries.

Matt Nixon, assistant chief of the Courtland Volunteer Fire Department, said the CVFD was called to the scene at around 9:15 a.m. According to information posted on the CVFD’s Facebook page, once on-scene, firefighters set up a landing zone for a LifeEvac1 air ambulance unit and mitigated a small diesel fuel leak. Capron’s M34 unit handled patient care.

Nixon also did not know the extent of the driver’s injuries, but confirmed that he had been airlifted to a trauma center.

He added that the Virginia Department of Transportation and a towing company had arrived on-scene by 11 a.m., and that VDOT was now handling all traffic. Nixon anticipates a lengthy delay before both lanes of the road reopen.

The Tidewater News will provide updates as more details are learned.