Police Say Alcohol was a Factor in Fatal VA Beach Crash That Badly Injured Passenger

Virginia Beach’s notorious Shore Drive has been the cause of yet another fatal accident  – this time one that claimed the life of a driver and left a passenger injured.

WAVY.com reported on how Virginia Beach police were called out to the 2500 block of Shore Drive just after 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 23 after a car crashed into a median and hit trees.

The channel reported on how Meaghan Elizabeth Darling, 31, was driving a 2004 Volvo S-70 Station Wagon east on Shore Drive when she continued straight into the median and hit two trees. police said alcohol was a factor, WAVY.com reported.

When officers arrived on scene, they found Ms. Darling was deceased at the accident scene and a male passenger injured. The passengers was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Shore Drive was closed in both directions from 83rd Street to First Landing State Park while police investigated the accident. Officials determined alcohol was a factor in this crash, WAVY reported.

John Cooper of Cooper Hurley talks about the dangers of Shore Drive

In cases in which a passenger is seriously injured by the actions of a drunk driver, he or she could have grounds to file a claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance policy.

This is just the latest tragedy to occur over the last few months on Shore Drive in Virginia Beach. Recently, we noted how a pedestrian died crossing Shore Drive just before Christmas.

Police have said Kenneth Allen was not walking within a crosswalk when he was hit by a vehicle on Shore Drive on Christmas Eve. However, very few details were released about what happened. No charges have been forthcoming to date from that accident.

Shore Drive is a popular road for pedestrians, because there are many bars and restaurants close by. A WAVY report stated pedestrians don’t always use the crosswalks.

Some residents have urged the police to enforce the law better. “Laws don’t mean anything whatsoever unless they’re enforced,” David Williams told WAVY.com. Mr. Williams is a member of the Shore Drive Community Coalition, which has run a longstanding campaign to make the road safer. It successfully urged Virginia Beach city leaders to lower the speed limit from 45 mph to 35 mph in 2010.

A teen pedestrian was killed crossing Shore Drive in Sept. 2014. Our Virginia Beach personal injury lawyers are so concerned about the poor safety record of Shore Drive, that we recorded a video about the road last year.

Cooper Hurley is a personal injury law firm with a headquarters in Norfolk and client meeting locations in Virginia Beach, Hampton, Chesapeake, Newport News and the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Call us for a free consultation if you have been hurt by a drunk driver or any other driver at 757.455.0077.