A truck driver had pulled over to help a stranded motorist on Interstate 95 when another vehicle came crashing into the back of his truck, leaving a 37-year-old man dead. The fatal collision happened Tuesday night, November 3, 2026, in the southbound lanes near mile marker 62.8, just south of Route 288 in Chesterfield County.
The man who died was identified as Justin Michael Johnson, 37, of Chesterfield County. He was driving a 2015 GMC Sierra when it struck the rear of a stopped 2012 International 4400. The impact proved fatal, and Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene.
The events leading up to the crash began with a disabled 2015 Chrysler 200. Its driver had pulled over along the interstate after experiencing trouble with the vehicle. The driver of the International truck then stopped behind the Chrysler to check on the stranded motorist and report the situation.
The International truck had its emergency warning lights activated while it was stopped behind the disabled car. However, before a responding Virginia State Police trooper could reach the area, the GMC Sierra struck the back of the larger truck.
State police said a trooper had been dispatched at around 10:15 p.m. after receiving reports of a disabled vehicle creating a traffic hazard. The collision occurred before the trooper arrived, turning what had started as a roadside assistance situation into a fatal crash.
The drivers of the International truck and the Chrysler 200 escaped without injuries. Johnson, however, did not survive. His death brought a sudden and painful end to a night that had begun with an attempt to help another motorist.
The incident also raises the importance of caution around disabled vehicles and stopped traffic on busy highways, particularly at night. Even when emergency warning lights are activated, approaching drivers may have little time to react when they encounter stopped vehicles ahead.
Virginia State Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the collision. The available information does not establish why Johnson’s pickup struck the stopped truck, and investigators will work to determine the events that led to the impact.
For Johnson’s loved ones, the focus is now on a loss that came without warning. At 37, he had his life ahead of him, but Tuesday night’s collision on Interstate 95 brought it to an abrupt end. His family and friends are left to mourn a man whose death has changed their lives forever.