Update: 26-year-old Fletcher man killed in I-40 tractor trailer accident was US Marine

Ryley Ober, Asheville Citizen Times
Updated ·2 min read

ASHEVILLE — A U.S. Marine from Fletcher was killed in a weekend crash, according to patrol officers with the Asheville Police Department. They are investigating the fatal collision on Interstate 40 involving a tractor trailer and a wrong-way driver early in the morning April 7.

Officers responded to a motor vehicle collision near the 54-mile marker of I-40 West around 2:33 a.m. April 7, according to an APD news release.

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A preliminary investigation suggests a 2024 Tesla operated by Andrew Dean Justiniano, 26, of Fletcher, was traveling east in the wrong direction and collided with a 2022 Freightliner that was traveling westbound on I-40.

Justiniano succumbed to his injuries on scene and next of kin has been notified, the release said. The driver of the Freightliner was uninjured.

I-40 West was closed for five and a half hours while officers worked the scene. APD's investigation is ongoing.

According to his online obituary, Justiniano was married and in addition to his wife, he also left behind his parents, brothers and many other family members.

Andrew Justiniano, 26, died in a car accident on I-40 early in the morning April 7. He served as a U.S. Marine for 7 years, where he met his wife, Taylor Justiniano, in Japan.
Andrew Justiniano, 26, died in a car accident on I-40 early in the morning April 7. He served as a U.S. Marine for 7 years, where he met his wife, Taylor Justiniano, in Japan.

"Andrew was a dedicated individual who served with honor and bravery in the US Marine Corps, embodying the values of loyalty, courage, and selflessness throughout his service," his obituary reads.

"He touched the lives of many with his unwavering commitment to his duties and his willingness to make sacrifices for the greater good. Andrew's sense of duty and strong work ethic inspired all those who had the privilege of knowing him."

Justiniano served as a U.S. Marine for seven years, where he met his wife, Taylor Justiniano, in Japan. After that, he was stationed in California and worked as a data systems administrator, his wife told the Citizen Times April 10.

"He was a really sweet, really kind individual, who made friends very easily and always put other people first before himself," Justiniano said of her husband. The two were together for six years, married for four of those years, and had four dogs together.

The husband and wife moved to the Asheville area two years ago because they "thought it was beautiful, gorgeous and everything that we wanted for a home."

Justiniano said she is thankful for the support the family has received, especially from the Marine Corps.

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Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at rober@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: 26-year-old Fletcher man killed in tractor trailer accident on I-40