Archive for the ‘ Auto Accident ’ Category

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3
Nov

Controversy Surrounds Car Crash That Killed Danville Woman

November 3, 2011

Controversy is swirling around a Danville, Virginia, car accident that left one woman dead and her sister severely injured. According to WSLS Channel 10 News, officers say the woman died of a heart attack on the way to the hospital, while her family argues she died from trauma suffered in the crash.

The accident happened on October 23 of this year just before 11:00 AM on South Main Street. The car, a 1995 Nissan Infinity driven by the woman’s sister and carrying two other teenage passengers, was rear-ended at full speed by a 2011 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. The crash caused thousands of dollars in damage to both vehicles and left the two women with several injuries. The driver suffered a cut to her head and an injured leg, while her sister was left with extreme chest pain.

Family members say the woman was unresponsive in the ambulance and have a death certificate showing the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the heart, but investigators claim the woman died of a heart attack three hours after arriving at the hospital.

Authorities say their investigation will be completed when results arrive back from the State Medical Examiner’s Office.

The Virginia Auto Accident Attorneys with the Skolrood Law Firm would like to hear from you. If the woman did die as a result of the accident, should the driver of the pickup be held responsible? Tell us your opinion by posting to our Facebook page.

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26
Oct

Bicyclist Fights for Life After Being Hit by Truck in Roanoke

October 26, 2011

A 45-year-old German man who’d plotted a 10-week bicycle tour of the United States was critically injured on October 8, when his bicycle was hit by a commercial truck near Roanoke, Virginia.

The Roanoke Times reports that the victim, from Bad Laer, Germany, now lies in a coma and remains on life support at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. His bicycle was hit by a 1998 Freightliner truck driven by a 46-year-old Marion man.

Around 3 p.m. on the Saturday of the accident, the truck driver was traveling about 55 miles per hour on Virginia 100 in Pulaski County when he swerved to the right and hit the cyclist, throwing him several feet onto an embankment. The victim was then airlifted to Roanoke.

The driver was charged with reckless driving and driving on a suspended license and will appear before a judge in December.

No defects have been found in either the bike or truck, and drugs and alcohol have been eliminated as a possible factor.

The bicyclist had been on a 10-week, self-guided tour of the United States, with designs on riding from New York to Miami. He had kept a blog along the way about the people he met, also posting the photos he’d taken.

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If you or someone you know has been involved in a Virginia auto accident, the Virginia auto accident lawyers at Skolrood Law Firm can help.

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20
Oct

How Roanoke Police Sort Out Crash Details

October 19, 2011

A new piece in The Roanoke Times takes an extensive look at how Roanoke officers are trained to make heads or tails of an automobile accident’s aftermath.

In a staged wreck on Tuesday, 25 police officers from central and Southwest Virginia witnessed a crash test in which a car speeds down a hill into a crash test dummy that’s on foot. The “accident” propelled the dummy 64 feet and left 66 feed of skid marks, though the dummy’s hat fell in nearly the same place he’d been standing at time of impact.

“In situations like this one, you’ve got at least one person who died or was severely injured, so you can’t interview everyone who was involved,” said Blacksburg police Detective Michael Czernicki. “You’re trying to figure out as much as you can about what happened based on the evidence.”

The region is unique in its extensive training of officers by the Blue Ridge Regional Crash Team.

“You don’t need a person in a department who knows it all,” said Sgt. Tim Wyatt, who heads the Roanoke County police patrol division. “When you have a team like this, you can have 10 people who know a lot.”

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If you or someone you know has been involved in a Virginia auto accident, the Virginia auto accident lawyers at Skolrood Law Firm can help.

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5
Oct

Roanoke Woman Charged in Connection with 4-Car Crash

October 5, 2011

A 29-year-old woman from Roanoke, Virginia, has been charged with reckless driving after she caused a four-car collision on Interstate 581 in Roanoke late on the afternoon of Monday, October 3.

Troopers told WSLS that the woman took her eyes off the road briefly just before approaching traffic that had come to a standstill about a half mile south of the Hershberger Road exit.

The woman then slammed into the rear of a Subaru Outback being driven by a Roanoke College student from Richmond. The man was taken by EMTs to Roanoke Memorial Hospital, but he was not seriously hurt. However, his Outback was totaled.

A Roanoke man driving a Chevy Silverado pick-up truck and a Salem man driving a Mercedes SUV were also involved in the accident on Monday.

Following the crash, WSLS reports that troopers charged the driver who initiated the crash with reckless driving.

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If you or someone you know has been involved in a Virginia auto accident, the Virginia auto accident lawyers at Skolrood Law Firm can help.

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29
Sep

Virginia Woman Killed in 2-Car Maryland Crash

September 29, 2011

A woman from Woodbridge, Virginia, was killed in a two-vehicle crash in Silver Spring, Maryland, early on the morning of Sunday, September 25.

The crash occurred at 4:36 a.m. at the intersection of Tech Road and Route 29, reports The Washington Post, when a 2004 BMW 325i that was facing a flashing red signal tried to proceed through the intersection but was struck by a 2009 Hyundai Elantra traveling through a flashing yellow light.

A 29-year-old female who was a passenger in the front passenger seat of the Hyundai died at the scene. Both drivers were taken to local hospitals, where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the Hyundai was a 26-year-old male from Bristow, Virginia, while the driver of the BMW was a 49-year-old woman from Baltimore, Maryland.

The Woodbridge Patch reports that police are still investigating the circumstances of the accident. Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed this fatal collision to contact the Montgomery County Police Collision Reconstruction Unit at 301-840-2435. Callers may remain anonymous.

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If you or someone you know has been involved in a Virginia auto accident, the Virginia auto accident lawyers at Skolrood Law Firm can help.

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15
Sep

Police Pursuit Ends with Multi-Car Crash in Newport News

September 15, 2011

A police pursuit in Newport News, Virginia, on Monday, September 12, ended with a multi-vehicle crash on I-64 near Denbigh Boulevard.

Virginia State Police Sergeant Michelle Anaya told WAVY.com that an officer saw a suspect traveling illegally in the westbound HOV lane at Bland Boulevard and attempted to pull him over for the HOV violation. The suspect, however, would not pull over.

When the officer ran the suspect’s license plate, he found that the vehicle the man was driving was listed as stolen from Henrico County.

During the chase, the suspect reportedly cut through the opening at Industrial Park Drive and then began traveling eastbound. While traveling eastbound he made yet another cut through, striking a trooper and beginning to travel westbound again.

“Now heading westbound, [the suspect] made yet another cut through.,” reports WAVY. “The third cut through was made at Denbigh, allowing the suspect to head eastbound. According to police, the suspect crashed into the same trooper again, bringing the pursuit to an end.”

The crash closed a lane of I-64.

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If you or someone you know has been involved in a Virginia auto accident, the Virginia auto accident lawyers at Skolrood Law Firm can help.

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5
Sep

Virginia Car Crash Information Now Available Online

September 5, 2011

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell has introduced an online interactive database of state car crash information for use by the public. Called the Traffic Records Electronic Data System (TREDS), the Governor said last week that the system aims to compile Virginia’s car wreck data and other relevant information into one place.

The information can be accessed through the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles website, where custom reports can be created, sorting information by fatalities and injuries. In a later phase, traffic crashes may be sorted by street location, and age and gender of those injured or killed. There will, however, never be personal driver information on the site.

“Multiple agencies combined efforts to create this efficient electronic method of collecting, storing and providing access to this important government information,” McDonnell said. “Previously, this information was stored by different agencies in different formats, making it hard for citizens to access. Now any Virginian, whether a safety advocate or a concerned citizen, can easily use this portal to look up comprehensive crash statistics in their communities.”

The end goal of TREDS is to reduce the number of Virginia traffic-related fatalities. There have been 487 in VA so far this year, and there were 494 last year.

“Linking the data together in a common format is efficient and creates more comprehensive, accurate crash statistics,” said DMV commissioner Richard Holcomb. “TREDS gives us a 360-degree view of crashes and their causes, which can aid in preventing future traffic fatalities.”

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If you or someone you know has been involved in a Virginia auto accident, the Virginia auto accident lawyers at Skolrood Law Firm can help.

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1
Sep

Virginia Woman Killed, Maryland Man Injured in Route 15 Crash

September 1, 2011

A 53-year-old woman died and a 43-year-old man was injured in a car crash on Route 15 in Virginia’s Loudon County on Wednesday, August 31.

The accident occurred just before 6:20 a.m. when a 2008 Chevy pickup truck crossed into the southbound lane of Route 15 and struck a Ford van before slamming head-on into a 1997 Nissan pickup truck. The Chevrolet’s driver, who was not wearing a seatbelt, died at the scene. She was from Ashburn, Virginia.

Meanwhile the Nissan’s driver—a Brunswick, Maryland, man—had to be life-flighted to a nearby hospital where he is fighting life-threating injuries. The driver of the Ford was not hurt. Both drivers were wearing seatbelts.

WILA.com reports that just prior to the crash a Virginia State Trooper received information about a pickup driving erratically on Route 15 North, and he went searching for the truck. Just as he was coming upon the truck in question, he saw it cross into the southbound lane, causing the fatal crash.

The crash closed down Route 15 for three hours, reopening at 9:34 a.m.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

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If you or someone you know has been involved in a Virginia auto accident, the Virginia auto accident lawyers at Skolrood Law Firm can help.

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4
Aug

1 Dead, 2 Injured in Single-Vehicle Crash in Gretna

August 4, 2011

A Ringold, Virginia, man died on Wednesday, August 3, when the car he was riding in ran off the road and overturned, ejecting him.

The crash occurred in Gretna, Virginia, around 6 p.m. on U.S. 29. A 1997 Ford Explorer that was traveling southbound ran off the road, then veered and overcorrected, flipping the vehicle.

The News & Advance reports that the Explorer overturned five times, throwing a 61-year-old male passenger from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead a the scene.

The Explorer’s driver had to be airlifted to a nearby hospital and yet another passenger was taken to a hospital by ambulance.

A portion of U.S. 29 was closed for about 40 minutes after the wreck.

Virginia State Trooper T.S. Bullington told The News & Advance that neither speed nor alcohol were a factor in the crash and that the investigation is ongoing.

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What do you think may have caused this Virginia auto accident?

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Virginia auto accident, the Virginia auto accident lawyers at Skolrood Law Firm can help.

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28
Jul

Driver Dies When Pickup Truck Plummets 135 Feet Off Blue Ridge Parkway

July 28, 2011

On Friday, July 22, a man was found dead inside his pickup truck, having driven 135 feet off a cliff along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Bedford County, Virginia.

The deceased’s brother reportedly called 911 after discovering the wrecked black Ford Ranger truck, which he had been out looking for. The call came in around 1:40 p.m., though it’s not known when the crash occurred or how long the man had been dead.

“Collisions are fairly common on the Blue Ridge Parkway,” said National Park Service spokesperson Miranda Cook to WSET.  “It’s a dangerous road.”

A WSET article also includes an interview with Montvale volunteer firefighter Scott Hawkins, who indicated the circumstances of the crash were puzzling to rescue crews.

“I’m not sure exactly what happened here,” said Hawkins. “It’s definitely not in a sharp turn, it’s not where a lot of accidents occur … When I arrived there was a family member that waved me down, there was a family member here … But any obvious marks in the parking lot, there were none to indicate there was an accident here.”

Crews pulled the truck out of the ravine by 5 p.m. on Friday.

The victim’s name and age have not been released.

Last month a young man died when he fell from a cliff along the Blue Ridge Parkway while rock climbing.

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Do you think the Blue Ridge Parkway is unsafe for Virginia drivers?

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Virginia auto accident, the Virginia auto accident lawyers at Skolrood Law Firm can help.

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