A two-vehicle crash in Accomack County on Virginia’s Eastern Shore left two people dead and a young man hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. State Police believe a driver’s failure to yield right of way before attempting to turn left across a rural highway set the stage for the deadly collision.
The wreck happened at the intersection of U.S. 13/Lankford Highway and Withams Road a little before 4:30 pm on February 14, 2022. An initial investigation led state troopers to conclude that the driver of a Ford Focus entered the highway directly in front of an oncoming tractor-trailer.
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The semi T-boned the car, and the force of the collision killed the car’s driver immediately. The tractor-trailer went into the center turn lane of U.S. 13, and the car was knocked off the far shoulder of the highway where it slammed into a tree.
Two passengers were rescued from the car and transported to Tidal Health Peninsula Regional Hospital in Maryland. News reports identified one of these individuals as 21-year-old Tyquesha Dominique Nock of New Church, Virginia (VA), and noted that she died at the hospital. Nock’s husband continued fighting for his life throughout the day after the crash/
Drivers Must Remain at Stop Signs Until the Way Is Clear
Drivers using Withams Road reach a stop sign before entering U.S. 13. It is a T intersection, meaning drivers must either turn right to join the flow of southbound traffic or turn left across oncoming traffic to proceed northward. The driver of the Ford Taurus involved in the Valentine’s Day 2022 crash was making the more difficult and dangerous left turn.
Waiting until a large gap opened between southbound vehicles on U.S. 13 was essential to keeping everyone safe. State law reinforces this reality at least twice.
Section 46.2-821 of the Virginia Code states, in part, “Before proceeding” from a stop sign, a driver “shall yield the right-of-way to the driver of any vehicle approaching on such other highway from either direction.” Section 46.2-865 gets more specific, stating, “The driver of a vehicle, intending to turn left within an intersection or into an alley, private road, or driveway shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction if it is so close as to constitute a hazard.”
The only good result from this failure-to-yield collision in Accomack County was that the tractor-trailer operator sustained no injuries. That person will, however, need to live with the horror of the deadly event.
Wrongful Death and Personal Injury Claims Can Still Be Filed
My Virginia Beach based law firm colleagues and I send our deepest condolences out to the friends and loved ones of the women who lost their lives in this crash on the Eastern Shore. We also hope the injured man makes a full and quick recovery.
Nothing will undo the tragedy, but claiming compensation and having medical expenses paid by filing insurance claims will be possible. An applicable car insurance policy remains in effect until all legal matters are resolved. Additionally, the innocent passengers involved in this wreck my have grounds for accessing underinsured motorist coverage provisions of their own car insurance policies. Consulting with an experienced and caring plaintiff’s attorney would help answer questions on these and other topics.
EJL