Virginia wants a driver involved in a 2021 crash that caused a major diesel spill and shut down part of Interstate 95 in Richmond for hours to pay nearly $83,000 for cleanup and repair costs. 

This February, the commonwealth and the Virginia Department of Transportation filed a lawsuit against Anthony Robinson, a resident of Charlotte, North Carolina, seeking to force him to pay an $82,764.07 invoice he had been sent in September 2022. 

The accident in question occurred near Richmond’s Chamberlayne Avenue exit of I-95 on Sept. 11, 2021, when Robinson’s vehicle collided with a tractor trailer carrying diesel fuel. The tractor-trailer overturned and spilled roughly 7,500 gallons of diesel onto the interstate. 

The spill closed the southbound lanes of I-95 through Richmond for more than 12 hours and required cleanup by not only the Richmond Fire Department’s Hazmat Team, but also Henrico’s team, VDOT and industrial cleanup crews, according to a WTVR report at the time. 

The invoice sent by the state to Robinson includes more than $59,000 in asphalt repair costs, as well as over $900 in sand purchases and $6,600 for VDOT labor. 

Besides the cleanup and repair costs, the commonwealth is asking for Robinson to pay 6% interest and attorney’s fees. 

Shaun Kenney, a spokesperson for the Office of the Attorney General, which is prosecuting the case, said the office is “not in a position to comment further due to pending litigation.” 

The Richmonder was unable to reach Robinson.