Driver is Charged With DUI and Manslaughter over Portsmouth Death of Portia Drummond

Red light runners are responsible for numerous deaths and injuries every year. The victims are usually people who are abiding by the rules and minding their own business. They are people like Portia Drummond, a popular worker at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, who was killed last week in Portsmouth.

Police say Ms. Drummond was on her way to work last week at Norfolk Naval Shipyard when she was struck by a driver who ran a red light at the intersection of the intersection of George Washington Highway and Portsmouth Boulevard.

They say a 21-year-old driver was going fast with no headlights on when he ran the light. He struck Ms. Drummond’s car and it flipped multiple times, according to WAVY.com.

Drummond, 51, died later at a local hospital. The driver of the pickup truck that hit her was charged with DUI and aggravated involuntary manslaughter.

WAVY.com reported how nearly a week after her death, “Drummond’s spirit is still strong.” Her family and friends remembered her at a memorial on Thursday evening.

Drummond was a pipefitter supervisor at Norfolk Naval Shipyard for years. Her friends described her as a “ray of sunshine.” More than 100 of her family members, friends, and co-workers showed up Thursday to celebrate her life.

Drummond was originally from the Deep Creek area of Chesapeake. Her obituary said she graduated from Deep Creek High School in 1982.

Understandably her family and friends found it hard to talk about the accident that killed her. It’s always tragic when a life is lost in such an avoidable way and my thoughts are with this woman’s family at this sad time.

In a typical year Virginia sees more than 8,000 accidents caused by drunk driving. In 2010, 247 people lost their lives on the highways of the Commonwealth due to drunk drivers. There’s never an excuse for driving after consuming alcohol or being under the influence of drugs. Drunk driving destroys lives and rips families apart.

Our Portsmouth personal injury lawyers have represented many people who have been injured by drunk drivers or the families of those who have lost a loved one due to someone who thought they could get away with driving drunk. We have also represented people hurt by red light runners. Although all cases are different and we cannot guarantee the same result in your case, we were recently able to secure $815,000 for a man who suffered brain damage when he was hit by a red light runner in Virginia Beach.

If you have been hurt by a drunk driver or a red light runner or a family member has been killed, call us today for a free consultation. We have client meeting locations in Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach and on the Eastern Shore and the Virginia Peninsula as well as a head office in Norfolk. We can also visit you in your home. Call us at 757.455.0077.