The 2011 July 4th weekend brought tragedy to Virginia’s roads in central Virginia, according to the News & Advance.
Two siblings from Lynchburg, VA died in a head-on collision on US 460 in Prince Edward County, VA right before 3 am on Sunday. According to the Virginia State Police, the brother, age 21, and sister, age 23, were driving west in a 2005 Chevrolet PT Cruiser when their car was hit by a 2000 Ford Explorer traveling east in the westbound lane in Prospect. The PT Cruiser burst into flames upon impact.
The driver of the Explorer, age 20, from Rustburg, VA, was arrested and charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter. He was released on bond. According to the Virginia courts system website, the Rustburg man was convicted in 2010 on charges of public intoxication and underage possession of alcohol.
The wreck remained under investigation. In other areas of Virginia during the holiday weekend, 13 people died in 11 collisions from Friday through Monday. The fatal crashes happened in Portsmouth and the counties of Accomack, Albemarle, Alleghany, Campbell, Chesterfield, Fairfax, Henrico and Prince Edward. At least four of the 11 crashes involved alcohol.
What happened to the siblings was a lesson not to drink and drive. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have laws making it a crime to drive with a blood alcohol concentration at or above 0.08 percent. Drinking alcohol slows reaction time and impairs judgment.
The death of a loved one is a life-altering event that may never fully be put in the past. If the VA accident was the fault of anyone, the family members of the siblings might have to file a wrongful death case with the assistance of Virginia personal injury lawyers against the responsible parties.
LC