BERKELEY COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A five-year-old child was killed early Sunday morning following a crash involving a tractor-trailer and a pickup truck on Interstate 81 in Berkeley County, according to the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were dispatched at approximately 4 a.m. on January 4, 2026, to a report of a traffic collision with injuries near the six-mile marker of I-81 southbound.
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Initial reports indicated a tractor-trailer had struck a pickup truck and that an ejection may have occurred.
When deputies arrived, they found both vehicles off the roadway with extensive damage.
Authorities located the adult drivers of both vehicles, along with a juvenile occupant who had been ejected from the pickup truck. The child, identified as a five-year-old, was found unresponsive at the scene.
Emergency responders immediately began lifesaving efforts, and the child was transported to Winchester Medical Center, where the child was later pronounced dead.
The driver of the pickup truck was injured and taken for medical treatment. The driver of the tractor-trailer was evaluated at the scene.
Interstate 81 southbound was closed for several hours while investigators processed the scene and cleared the roadway. Deputies conducted a traffic collision investigation and collected evidence at the site.
The investigation remains active and ongoing. Authorities said extensive follow-up work will be conducted to determine the cause of the crash, and multiple potential criminal violations are being considered. No additional information has been released at this time.
Anyone with information related to the crash is asked to contact Sgt. Ritchie with the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office at 304-267-7000. Anonymous tips may also be submitted by phone or through the sheriff’s office website.
