A car accident happened in Madison County, Virginia. The crash involved one vehicle and sadly, multiple people died.
On Friday, August 18, the accident occurred near Locust Dale Road (Route 614). At 6:00 p.m., a 2016 GMC Yukon was driving south on North James Madison Highway (Route 15). The car went off the road and hit a tree.
The driver of the GMC, Norman V. Hoover, who was 74 years old and from Bullock, North Carolina, died at the crash site because of his injuries. He had his seatbelt on.
A passenger in the GMC, Stephen C. Satterwhite, aged 34, from Oxford, North Carolina, also died at the scene because of his injuries. He wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.
Another passenger, James M. Rathbone, who was 26 and from Henderson, North Carolina, died at the scene too. He wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.
A third passenger, Peyton Scott, aged 24 and from Oxford, North Carolina, got seriously hurt but not life-threatening injuries. He was taken to UVA Medical Center by helicopter for treatment. He also wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.
The investigation caused Route 15 to be closed for about 4 hours. The road closure and detour were managed by VDOT.
Virginia State Police provide law enforcement services throughout the state and work with local law enforcement and justice agencies. When there are serious accidents or ones with fatalities, the Virginia State Police Accident Reconstruction Team helps troopers with investigating and documenting the incident.
The exact reason for the crash on that Friday is still not known, and the investigation is ongoing.