Fatal Car Crash Near Ghent Toll Booth on I-77
I-77 in Raleigh County was shut down in both directions late Sunday morning as a result of a wrong-way driver who caused a head-on collision. On that morning, March 22, 2015, a man driving a black 2015 Ford Explorer pulled through the toll booth, re-entered the interstate drove North in the Southbound lane, swerved past several cars, and then hit a red Ford Escape containing a 43-year-old mother from Tennesee and three children, head-on. The woman driving was killed, and the three children were life-flighted to CAMC and were in critical condition.
Police said the man responsible for the crash is wanted in Pennsylvania for making terrorist threats and is on probation in Florida. Once the driver is released from the hospital, he will face charges of second-degree murder in West Virginia for vehicular homicide.
Dispatchers say the Ghent Fire Department, Ghent ambulance, Jan Care ambulance, and Turnpike police all responded to the collision near mile marker 32, just north of the Ghent toll booth.
When Negligence or Criminal Intent Leads to a Head-on Collision
Due to the sheer physics involved in head-on collisions, the resulting injuries are typically severe and catastrophic. All too often, head-on collisions result in fatal injuries. If you or a loved one has been injured in a head-on collision caused by another driver’s negligence, it is important to have an experienced personal injury attorney on your side.
Sources:
WVNS TV, “One Dead, Four Injured on Turnpike,” by Courtney Vannatter, March 23, 2015.
WVVA, “Driver Involved in Wrong-way Fatal Crash Wanted in PA,” Kathlynn Stone, March 22, 2015.
Jeffery Robinette was admitted to practice law in 1991 and is licensed in all levels of state and federal trial courts in West Virginia. Mr. Robinette is also licensed in all state and federal appeals courts in West Virginia and the United States Supreme Court. As a National Board Certified Trial Attorney who has handled hundreds of motor vehicle, injury, and construction defect claims and a leading author on insurance claims settlement issues and difficulties in West Virginia, Jeff Robinette is uniquely qualified to represent your best interest.
