2 Killed in area accidents
Published 9:15 pm Monday, January 25, 2010
A multi-vehicle accident on eastbound U.S. Route 58 near the area where it merges with eastbound business Route 58 traffic caused only minor injuries on Monday morning, but it snarled traffic for miles, according to city officials.
The accident was just one of 17 in Suffolk between 7 a.m. and noon, at the height of a morning rush hour complicated by strong winds and heavy rain, Suffolk spokesperson Debbie George said Monday. It was, however, the only one with injuries.
The weather caused severe travel problems throughout the area.
In Chesapeake, 31-year-old Brandon Drewry of Woodgate Arch died at the scene when his 1999 Toyota Camry was struck at about 6:45 a.m. by a 1983 Ford F-150 truck. Investigators said that Drewry was waiting to exit a gas station onto Military Highway when the truck veered off the road and struck the car. The driver of the truck was treated and released at Chesapeake Regional Medical Center. Police are awaiting a decision from the Chesapeake Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office about whether to press charges, according to a spokesperson.
Suffolk suffered its own traffic fatality late Saturday, when an 81-year-old Alzheimer’s patient died after being hit by a vehicle on Holland Road.
Milton Heffington, of the 2100 block of Holland Road, wandered out of his residence and into the 2200 block of Holland Road, where he was struck by a 2004 Hyundai Elantra traveling westbound at about 11:30 p.m., according to George. Heffington died at the scene.
“The accident is still under investigation,” George said. “However, initial indications are that there won’t be any charges placed.”
The cold front that brought so much rain and wind on Monday morning also is expected to bring cooler temperatures for the next couple of days. Another blast of cold air from the north later in the week is expected to drop temperatures back into the 30s and could even bring snow, forecasters say.