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Police say a driver who failed to yield at a Newport News stop sign was driving under the influence in a crash that killed her 12-year-old boy.
The death of a child is always tragic. In the case of a crash on Old Denbigh Boulevard on Saturday, police claim the child’s mother was driving drunk.
Officer Brandon Maynard of Newport News Police Department said police were called to the 1100 block of Old Denbigh Boulevard at 6:38 p.m. for a two-vehicle accident.
A report on WAVY.com noted an investigation revealed that a 31-year-old woman from Alexandria in northern Virginia, who was driving a Toyota Camry was struck by a black Nissan Maxima. Police said she failed to yield at a Newport News stop sign.
The mother was traveling eastbound on Woodside Lane when she was struck on the passenger side by a 29-year-old Newport News woman driving a Nissan northbound on Old Denbigh Boulevard.
The boy was a passenger in the front seat of the Toyota Camry. Police say he later died at a local hospital.
Both drivers were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The mother from Alexandria was arrested and charged with felony child abuse, DUI with child, DUI manslaughter, reckless driving and failure to obey a stop sign.
WAVY reported the victim was a student at Hines Middle School, according to Newport News Public Schools Director of Public Information Michelle Price. In a statement she said:
“The Newport News Public Schools family is saddened to learn of the unexpected death of a Hines Middle School student, following an accident this weekend. To support the Hines students and staff through this challenging time, additional counselors will be present at the school this week …The school division extends condolences to the student’s family and friends, and stands ready to support and assist them.”
Accidents involving a failure to yield are common in Hampton Roads. They may be caused by inattention, distracted driving or drunken driving.
When a vehicle unexpectedly ends up on a busy highway without yielding to traffic, it may be almost impossible for other drivers to avoid a crash. The relatives of passengers who are killed in these kinds of wrecks may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
Four people lost their lives on the highways of Hampton Roads and northeastern North Carolina over the weekend. A driver was killed in Suffolk. In Elizabeth City in North Carolina, two people lost their lives in what police say was an alleged drunk driving crash. Michael Tazewell and Ramona Finney were riding in a 2008 Dodge Avenger when their vehicle was in a collision with a 2016 Chevy Silverado. They were killed at Halstead Boulevard Extension and Ridgefield Drive. The driver of the Chevy was charged with drunk driving.
Our thoughts are with the families of all of those who lost their lives on the highways of Hampton Roads this weekend. If you lost a loved one in a car wreck, please call our wrongful death lawyers at (757) 455-0077.