Promising Western Branch High School Teen Athlete is Killed in Franklin County Car Crash

It’s always tragic when a young life is lost and I have read about many fatal accidents involving young drivers and passengers in Virginia this year.

Over the weekend, Virginia State Police said a Chesapeake teenager died in a car crash in Franklin County. He was in the passenger seat of a car when it swerved off the road on Saturday morning.

A 20-year-old driver from Lynchburg, and the backseat passenger, an 18-year-old from Lynchburg, were transported to Roanoke Memorial Hospital for injuries sustained in the crash. Police later charged the driver with reckless driving.

The teenager from Chesapeake was a graduate of Western Branch High School in Chesapeake and a freshman member of the Liberty University track and field program.

WAVY.com said the track star had recently competed in his first collegiate track and field event at the Liberty Kickoff event at the Tolsma Indoor Track Center. The sprinter competed in the 200 meter and 400 meter dash at the Liberty Kickoff.

Liberty University’s Coach Brant Tolsma described him as “a very special young man who was part of a wonderful freshman class.”

I have seen the deaths of many teen drivers and passengers across Virginia. Teen and young drivers are more likely to be distracted and their inexperience counts against them. My thoughts are with the family of this promising young athlete.

When passengers die in car crashes, their close family members often have grounds to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the insurance policy of the driver. No amount of money will bring back a loved one, lost in the bleakest of circumstances. However, families often suffer a financial loss from a death.

Call the Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers at 757.455.0077 or see CooperHurley.com for a free consultation.