Truck driver sentenced to prison in Augusta County crash that killed VDOT employee
STAUNTON — A Baltimore truck driver was sentenced to prison Tuesday for a fatal 2022 crash on Interstate 81 in Augusta County that killed an employee from the Virginia Department of Transportation while he was in a work zone.
Shawn P. Dick, 32, of Paw Paw, West Virginia, a father of four, died at the scene. Dick's father-in-law, also a VDOT employee, was working with him at the time.
On Feb. 1, 2022, John C. Barksdale Jr., who was 23 years old, was behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer on I-81 and headed northbound in the left-hand lane shortly before 5 a.m., according to Augusta County Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Holly Rasheed.
The prosecutor said for about a mile, multiple traffic-control signs instructed drivers to merge right because the left lane was closed.
"He did not merge in the right lane," Rasheed said Tuesday in Augusta County Circuit Court.
Instead, Barksdale's tractor-trailer barreled into a work zone near mile marker 232 and slammed into a Ford F-650 that Dick was sitting in, Rasheed said. The Ford had its arrow board activated and amber lights flashing at the time of the crash.
"The victim was killed on impact," Rasheed said.
An investigation revealed Barksdale was using his cell phone at the time of the crash, according to Rasheed, who said a video was playing on the device when the crash took place.
Jessica Dick, in a victim impact statement, said her husband's death has greatly affected her and their four children, who suffer from nightmares. She also noted her husband was the sole breadwinner and that she was a homemaker. "We went from one income to none," she said in the statement.
Given a chance to address the court, Barksdale asked for forgiveness and lamented having a job. "I wish I could take back that day," he said through tears.
In a plea agreement, Barksdale, now 25, pleaded guilty to involuntary vehicular manslaughter. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison with seven years suspended, giving him a three-year prison term. He will be placed on three years of supervised probation upon his release from prison.
Barksdale was represented by attorney Steven Goodwin.
Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on X (formerly Twitter).
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Man gets prison in Augusta County crash that killed VDOT worker
