Crews rescue woman trapped inside van after multi-vehicle wreck in Forest

Reckless driving caused chain-reaction crash, state police say

FOREST, Va. – Emergency crews in Forest rescued a woman who was trapped inside a van after a multi-vehicle wreck on Monday morning. 

Several vehicles collided and a van ended up on its side on Forest Road near Ashwood Drive around 8:45 a.m. 

According to state police, a 2017 Ford Escape crossed the center line and hit a 2013 Nissan Almita and then a 2014 Freightliner van. 

The Grace Care LLC van was carrying orthopedic supplies and was headed to Bedford Memorial Hospital. The driver, 37-year-old Forest resident Jennifer R. Gibbs, became trapped when the van flipped and landed on the driver side. She tried to climb out of the passenger window but firefighters had to cut the windshield to get her out.

Gibbs is OK and was checked out at the scene. Rescue workers had to flush out her eyes because she had glass particles in them. She also said she could feel a road rash. 

The driver of the Nissan, 22-year-old Lynchburg resident Kiana G. Bell, was helped by three women who waited with her until her parents arrived. 

Everyone involved was wearing a seatbelt and no one was injured, according to state police. 

The driver of the Ford, 59-year-old Lynchburg resident Benjamin A. Quintana, is charged with reckless driving.Â