virginia auto accident lawyer

Charlottesville Man Sentenced in Crash That Killed Winemaker

by admin@gotechark.com | September 5th, 2011

September 5, 2011

A 59-year-old Charlottesville, Virginia man was sentenced to three years in prison stemming from an October 4 drunken-driving accident that killed a local winemaker.

In April the man plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter and DUI after causing a wreck that killed a 31-year-old Crozet man who worked at White Hall Vineyards and Sugarleaf Vineyards.

Judge John E. Kloch doled out more than the recommended six-month jail sentence, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports, because he was dubious that it was the first time that the accused had driven drunk.

“This is a tough case, because no matter what the court does, [the victim] is never coming back,” said Kloch in a courtroom on Tuesday. “He’s gone. It’s especially traumatic for this family in the way that [the victim] died because they never got to say goodbye.”

The Virginia drunk driver—whose blood alcohol content was .111 percent after the crash—was sentenced to 11 years in prison, of which eight were suspended. He was also sentenced to supervised probation and will be required to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and not allowed to drive for a year after his release.

Read more.

Do you think the sentencing was fair in this Virginia auto accident?

If you or someone you know has been the victim of a Virginia auto accident, the injury lawyers at Lowell Stanley can help.

Norfolk Officer Fined and Charged with Community Service for Fatal Bike Wreck

by admin@gotechark.com | July 28th, 2011

July 28, 2011

A Norfolk, Virginia, police officer who fatally injured a bicyclist a year ago was fined and sentenced to community service on Friday, July 22.

The accident occurred around 1 a.m. on July 25, 2010, when Officer Derek Folston was speeding to reach a non-emergency call and struck a bicyclist on the 1500 block of Brambleton Avenue. The collision caused the cyclist severe injuries from which he died two months later.

Fox43TV.com reports that the bicyclist had a blood alcohol level of .20 when he was hit.

Folston and another officer in a separate cruiser had both been speeding to reach the Tidewater Gardens area over the Campostella Bridge. Court records revealed that neither had lights or sirens turned on, and Folston admitted to driving 20 miles over the speed limit. Both officers have been on administrative duty since the accident.

Convicted earlier this month of misdemeanor reckless driving, Folston was fined $1,000, sentenced to 100 hours of community service, and had his license suspended for 60 days. Judge Jerrauld C. Jones suspended a six-month jail sentence, The Virginian-Pilot reports.

Read more.

Do you think police should be required to turn on their lights and sirens if speeding toward a destination? Should punishment be less for them when they cause fatalities while on-duty?

If you or someone you know has been the victim of a Virginia auto accident, the injury lawyers at Lowell Stanley can help.

2 Injured When Driver Falls Asleep on Hampton Roads Interstate

by admin@gotechark.com | July 21st, 2011

July 21, 2011

A Capron, Virginia, man fell asleep at the wheel very early Thursday morning and wrecked his vehicle on Interstate 664 near Newport News, Virginia. Both he and a passenger suffered non-life threatening injuries in the crash. It is not known whether or not they were wearing seatbelts.

The accident occurred around 3:30 a.m. near the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel when the sleepy driver drifted off the highway. He then awoke and over-corrected, jerking his 2001 Ford back onto the road. The Virginia State Police Department report that the man’s vehicle flipped several times.

The man and his passenger were both transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital via ambulance. Immediately following the accident, the southbound lanes of Interstate 664 were closed to enable the life-flight helicopter Nightingale to land, but the helicopter was later canceled. The northbound lanes were open again by 5 a.m. on Thursday.

The driver has been charged with reckless driving.

Alcohol is not said to be a factor in the crash.

Read more.

What do you think can be done to discourage fatigued drivers from getting behind the wheel in Virginia?

If you or someone you know has been the victim of a Virginia auto accident, the injury lawyers at Lowell Stanley can help.

Newport News Teen Charged with DUI in 2-Vehicle Crash

by admin@gotechark.com | July 7th, 2011

July 7, 2011

A two-vehicle crash in Newport News, Virginia, last month ended with three people hospitalized for injuries. Police now say that the 17-year-old driver who caused the crash had been drinking and has been charged with two counts of DUI Maiming, DUI first offense, Reckless Driving, and Underage Possession of Alcohol.

From the beginning, Police told WAVY that they believed alcohol played a role in the crash, after which one person remained in critical condition. Two others were in serious but stable condition.

The accident occurred June 8, 2011, near the intersection of Lucas Creek Road and Cabell Drive around 8:01 p.m. when a yellow Volkswagen driven by the teenager was traveling north on Lucas Creek. The Volkswagon collided head-on with a red Nissan traveling south on Lucas Creek.

The red Nissan contained a driver and a child, and the Volkswagon contained only the driver.

All three people were taken to Riverside Regional Medical Center.

The teen’s first hearing is set for July 11.

Read more.

Do you think that justice has been served in this Virginia auto accident?

If you or someone you know has been the victim of a Virginia auto accident, the Virginia auto accident lawyers at Lowell Stanley can help.

Norfolk Man Acquitted from 2009 DUI Crash That Killed 2

by admin@gotechark.com | June 30th, 2011

June 30, 2011

On Tuesday a jury acquitted a 26-year-old Norfolk, Virginia, man who’d been accused of causing the 2009 drunk-driving crash that killed two people and caused serious brain injury to another.

The driver, who is an enlisted Navy sailor, stood trial for a week, and jurors took two days to reach a verdict—finding the man not guilty on two counts of aggravated involuntary manslaughter and a single count of maiming. A 22-year-old nurse and a 25-year-old Navy sailor both died in the crash, while a third passenger sustained permanent brain injury. A fourth passenger escaped with minor injuries.

The crash occurred on July 25, 2009, when the man’s BMW crashed into a tree off Granby Street and caught fire. He had been giving four strangers a ride home from Red Dog Saloon in Ghent. The man testified in court that, while driving, he’d been hit sharply in the jaw by an object or a person in the backseat and passed out. He testified that he didn’t remember the crash.

Though the driver’s blood alcohol content had been above the legal limit, a defense attorney argued that there was “reasonable doubt about what happened it that car.”

Read more.

Do you think justice was served in this case?

If you or someone you know has been the victim of a Virginia auto accident, the Virginia auto accident lawyers at Lowell Stanley can help.

Lawmakers look into Virginia auto accident involving bus

by admin@gotechark.com | June 8th, 2011

June 9, 2011

Sky Express was deemed as a “clearly unsafe carrier” by the Virginia Department of Transportation after a recent Virginia auto accident involving the carrier.

A Virginia auto accident involving Sky Express killed four people, and lawmakers are wanting to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.

According to frederickburg.com, senators are urging stricter oversight of motorcoach carriers and enforcement of rules.

The Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Administration sited Sky Express several times in the past, including incidents for driver fatigue, the reason behind the recent Virginia auto accident.

37 percent of accidents, which may include Virginia auto accidents, investigated by the national Transportation Safety Board find that driver fatigue is the cause.

Do you think bus drivers should be held to the same standards as semi-truck drivers? Do you think federal regulation of buses could reduce the number of Virginia auto accidents?

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Virginia auto accident, the Virginia auto accident lawyers at Lowell Stanley can help.

Four killed in Virginia auto accident involving bus

by admin@gotechark.com | June 1st, 2011

June 2, 2011

A fatigued bus driver was the cause of a fatal Virginia auto accident over Memorial Day weekend.

The vehicle overturned in the Virginia auto accident, and four people were killed, according to poconorecord.com.

The bus driver suffered minor Virginia auto accident injuries. He was treated at the scene of the Virginia auto accident and was held on $3,000 bond at a county jail.

Traffic was backed up for 10 miles after the Virginia auto accident. The extent of other injuries of those on the bus ranged from minor to life threatening, and passengers were taken to local hospitals following the Virginia auto accident.

Read more.

Do you think the driver or the bus company should be held responsible for the Virginia auto accident? Do you think bus drivers should be held to the same standards as semi truck drivers?

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Virginia auto accident, the Virginia auto accident lawyers at Lowell Stanley can help.

Three injured in Virginia auto accident

by admin@gotechark.com | May 25th, 2011

May 26, 2011

For some drivers, driving next to a tractor trailer can make one nervous, especially if a Virginia auto accident could possibly occur.

According to patch.com, three people were injured in a Virginia auto accident. The Virginia auto accident involved three vehicles on the Capital Beltway over the Potomac River.

A passenger vehicle was trapped under a tractor trailer in the Virginia auto accident.

One person suffered life-threatening injuries in the Virginia auto accident, and two others suffered less severe injuries.

The lanes of the Beltway were closed for several hours while rescue crews worked the scene of the Virginia auto accident.

Read more.

As summer travel season picks up, what are you doing to keep your family safe? Will you avoid traveling during times when traffic volume is high?

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Virginia auto accident, the Virginia auto accident lawyers at Lowell Stanley can help.

Child airlifted to hospital after Virginia auto accident

by admin@gotechark.com | May 11th, 2011

May 12, 2011

A 5-year-old was involved in a Virginia auto accident that sent her to the hospital with serious injuries, according to nbc29.com.

Though law enforcement officials say it was a low-speed Virginia auto accident, the young girl sustained injuries that required her to be flown to Virginia Medical Center, the report said.

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Do you think child safety seats keep children protected in the event of a Virginia auto accident? When do you think a child is old enough to ride in the car without a safety seat?

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Virginia auto accident, the Virginia auto accident lawyers at Lowell Stanley can help.

Virginia auto accident takes teen’s life

by admin@gotechark.com | May 4th, 2011

May 5, 2011

A 17-year-old girl was killed in a Virginia auto accident, according to wtvr.com.

The teen was one of six in a Chevy Trailblazer that drove off Route 360 and flipped in the Virginia auto accident.

The girl was ejected from the SUV and taken to Southside Community Hospital where she died of Virginia auto accident injuries.

Police are not yet sure if the teens involved in the Virginia auto accident were wearing seatbelts.

Read more.

What distractions do you think teens face while driving? How many passengers do you think a teen driver show be allowed to have?

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Virginia auto accident, the Virginia auto accident lawyers at Lowell Stanley can help.