UPDATED: State trooper who was hit by car in Amherst County released from hospital

Investigators have not released any names.

--------------------------------

A Virginia State Trooper and another man were hit by a vehicle on Route 29 South on Wednesday afternoon.

According to a news release from Virginia State Police, the trooper pulled over to help a man whose furniture had fallen from his pickup truck. The trooper stopped his vehicle in the right lane so other cars wouldn't hit the furniture.

The trooper was helping the man pick up the furniture, when a driver headed south on Route 29 lost control and hit them both. The accident happened just south of Galts Mill Road around 1:32 p.m.

The trooper was taken to Lynchburg General Hospital with serious injuries. The pickup truck driver suffered life-threatening injuries. The driver of the vehicle that hit them was not injured.

The emergency lights on the trooper's vehicle were activated, investigators say.

According to the Virginia Department of Transportation, both southbound lanes are closed in the eare near Galts Mill Road.

WDBJ7 has a crew on the way.

Click here to see a map of where the accident is located.

In the meantime, here is the news release from Virginia State Police:

Virginia State Police are on the scene of a crash that struck two pedestrians, to include a Virginia State Police Trooper.
 
At 1:32 p.m., a trooper had stopped to assist a motorist in the southbound lanes of Route 29 just south of Gaults Mill Road. A pickup truck that was traveling south on Route 29 had lost part of its load of furniture. The pickup had pulled over to the right shoulder in order to retrieve the fallen furniture. The trooper stopped his vehicle in the right, southbound lane of Route 29 to prevent traffic from striking the furniture. The trooper’s patrol car did have its emergency lights activated to alert oncoming traffic.
 
The trooper and the driver of the pickup were near the piece of fallen furniture when a vehicle traveling southbound on Route 29 lost control. The vehicle came into the right travel lane and struck both the male trooper and male pickup truck driver. The trooper has been taken to Lynchburg General Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The pickup truck driver suffered life-threatening injuries and is also being transported to Lynchburg General Hospital. The driver of the last vehicle was not injured in the crash.
 
The Virginia State Police Accident Reconstruction Team is also on-scene assisting with the crash investigation.

--------------------------------

WDBJ7 has learned that a state trooper and a pedestrian were hit by a vehicle in Amherst County on U.S. Route 29.

Route 29 is closed near Elon Road.

Check back later for more updates.

--------------------------------

U.S. Route 29 in Amherst County near Elon Road is closed because of an accident.

The accident is near the ramp.

Check back later for more updates.