VIRGINIA – UPDATE
Over St. Patrick’s Day weekend, four deadly accidents happened throughout Southwest Virginia.
Virginia State Police said that statewide, there were seven deadly accidents over the weekend, which was an increase from only two in 2023.
Virginia State Police told us only one of the crashes is being investigated for alcohol being a possible cause.
The crashes in our area happened in Henry County on March 15, Franklin County and in Floyd on March 16, and in Bedford on March 17.
Authorities are investigating crashes throughout the area.
“Obviously, we are still early in the process of investigating these accidents, and I don’t want to rule anything out I do know that we are potentially looking at alcohol preliminary as being the cause of one, don’t want to rule it out it does appear people are heeding the message,” Matthew Demlein, Public Relations Manager for Virginia State Police said.
The crashes are still under investigation.
ORIGINAL STORY
Four people ran off the road in separate incidents throughout Southwest Virginia between Friday and Sunday. All of the drivers died in the accidents. Virginia State Police is continuing to investigate.
A woman from Greensboro, N.C., died when her 2018 Kia Soul ran off the side of the road on Route 220. The driver was identified as Jennifer Marie Stokes, 61, of Greensboro, N.C. She died at the scene and was wearing her seatbelt.
The Virginia State Police is investigating the single-vehicle crash. According to the police, it occurred Friday, March 15, at 6:24 a.m., south of White House Road in Henry County. Stokes’ vehicle ran off the right side of the road, struck a culvert and overturned.
Devin Wayne Coleman, 21, of Bassett, Va., died after his 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer ran off the right side of Mount Carmel Road near Gumtree Lane in Franklin County. According to Virginia State Police, the accident occurred Saturday, March 16, at 7:01 p.m.
It was a single-vehicle accident. Coleman ran off the side of the roadway, overcorrected, crossed the roadway and struck the trees. He was not wearing a seatbelt and died at the scene. Authorities are still investigating the accident.
A single vehicle ATV crash occurred Saturday, March 16 at 7:00 p.m. on Indian Valley Post Office Road, near Indian Valley Road in Floyd County. According to Virginia State Police, Todd Nathanial Huff, 48, of Indian Valley, Va., died when his 2023 Can-Am Outlander ran off the right side of the road, down and embankment and struck the trees.
Huff was ejected from the ATV. Authorities continue to investigate the accident.
Virginia State Police is investigating a single-vehicle crash that occurred on Sunday at 1:52 a.m. on Mentow Road, just south of Leesville Road in Bedford County. Wyatt Malton Newman, 19, of Huddleston, Va., died when his 2005 Chevrolet Silverado ran off the left side of the road, overturned, ejecting him. He was not wearing his seatbelt and died at the scene. Authorities believe that alcohol is a factor in the crash.