The Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) is investigating a double fatality semi truck crash that occurred this week on Sandstone Mountain in West Virginia.

Shortly after 5 a.m. on April 23, RCSO was alerted to a crash that occurred on eastbound I-64 at mile marker 136.3, near Shady Spring, in Raleigh County, West Virginia.

When police arrived on scene, they discovered that a tractor trailer had veered off the interstate, went through a guardrail, then plummeted down a steep embankment, coming to rest at the bottom of a hillside on Sandstone Mountain.

RCSO Sergeant William Ramey saw two occupants trapped inside the crashed truck “with no signs of life.”

Firefighters, tow trucks, and ambulance crews responded and extricated two people from the cab of the truck.

Truck driver Macdiel R. Labrada, 33, of Louisville, Kentucky, and co-driver, Daikel C. Perdomo, 41, were pronounced dead at the scene.

The truck was hauling a load of watermelons when the crash occurred.

RCSO said that speed and brake failure are thought to have contributed to the fatal crash:

“Speed is believed to be a factor in this collision as well as possibly the failure of the vehicle braking system due to the steep grade of Sandstone Mountain. The crash investigation is being handled by Deputy William Sneddon and he is being assisted by Sergeant Justin Wills of the West Virginia Public Service Commission – Motor Carrier Division. Sheriff Priddy and Chief Shelton would like to remind everyone of the dangers of exceeding the posted speed limits. They would ask motorists to slow down and obey all traffic law to avoid such tragedies.“

This is not the only fatal semi truck crash to occur in this area in the past year. An Ohio-based truck driver died on eastbound I-64 near the Sandstone Mountain escape ramp in August 2024.