Virginia State Police have identified the motorcyclist killed today on U.S. 460 in Giles County as Marcus Paul Kiser, 37, of Lashmeet, W.Va.

Kiser was headed west on U.S. 460 on a Suzuki motorcycle when it was struck head-on by a 1996 Dodge Stratus traveling the wrong way in a westbound lane, First Sgt. Mike Honaker with the Virginia State Police said.

The crash happened just inside the Narrows town limits about 11:15 a.m.

Kiser was pronounced dead at the scene, Honaker said.

Honaker identified the driver of the Stratus is Mary Ann Toliver, 61, of Gap Mills, W.Va. Toliver was driving east in the westbound lanes, he said. She was taken to Carilion Giles Memorial Hospital with minor injuries, Honaker said.

The motorcycle was passing a 1998 Ford box truck when it was struck, Honaker said. After it was struck by the Stratus, the motorcycle struck the truck, he said.

The truck's driver, James Michael Lineberry of Radford, was not hurt.

Honaker said police believe Toliver "must have mistakenly began traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of Route 460 when she turned from Route 219 in Rich Creek."

U.S. 460 is a four-lane divided highway and, in that area known as the bluffs, the median is mountainous and people driving one direction are unable to see the lanes that travel in the other direction.

"We are not sure if Toliver was familiar with this highway or not," Honaker said, "but unfortunately she undoubtedly did not realize she was not on a two-lane highway."

No charges have been filed at this time.

The crash shut down the westbound lanes of U.S. 460 for several hours.