According to Virginia State Police, 80-year-old Patrick County resident Virginia Slate died of the personal injuries she sustained on June 10 after the pickup truck she had just entered accelerated through the wall of her garage and into her swimming pool.

According to Sgt. Rob Carpentieri of the Virginia State Police, the accident occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. after Slate entered a 2003 Chevrolet S-10 pickup parked inside the residence’s two-car garage. Instead of backing out of the garage, the truck inexplicably accelerated forward, resulting in it crashing through the wall and falling into the in-ground pool.

Emergency personnel arrived at the scene and discovered the truck submerged. Slate received transport to Northern Hospital of Surry County. She died approximately an hour after the accident.

According to police, charges are pending against the 29-year-old motorcycle driver who crashed into the back of a car in Virginia Beach on July 20, resulting in him sustaining life-threatening personal injuries that left him in critical condition at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.

Police spokesman Wayne Gilbert said that on the day of the crash, police received a call shortly before 5 a.m. regarding an accident at the intersection of Lavender Lane and Longfellow Avenue.

A 1998 Toyota Corolla was making a right-hand turn onto Longfellow from Lavender when the bike, a 2008 Eagle motor scooter, crashed into its rear, according to Gilbert. The Eagle is considered a motorcycle due to its 150 cc engine.

When crews arrive, they discovered the rider suffering from serious personal injuries. According to Gilbert, the driver was not wearing his helmet at the time of the crash. He said that investigators said driver inexperience and alcohol were both factors in the crash.

According to Gilbert, there are charges pending against the man for driving under the influence, driving with a revoked operator’s license, and failure to wear a helmet.

On July 25, a pair of multiple-car collisions on Interstate 64 backed up traffic and resulted in a 5-year-old girl being sent to the hospital for the personal injuries she sustained.

Details about the first accident were not immediately made available.

Virginia State Trooper F.B. Ross said that the second crash occurred at approximately 9 a.m. when traffic had been slowed from a crash in the westbound lanes near Zion Crossroads.

According to Ross, as 23-year-old Oklahoma resident Kelly Hines approached the first crash, she failed to slow her Chevrolet Impala, which was traveling at 65 miles per hour. Hines’ vehicle struck a minivan, causing it to crash into a sport utility vehicle.

Hines and 35-year-old Wisconsin resident Darrell Boland, the driver of the minivan, received transport via ambulance to the University of Virginia Medical Center. Boldan’s 5-year-old daughter required air transport to UVA for her injuries.

The extent of the injuries sustained was not made public, but Ross said the adults were coherent and talking after the crash.

Hines was charged with following too closely and Ross said the accident would not be investigated further.

What about my car? Who should pay to get it fixed?

Often, the defendant’s insurance company will help you immediately with this. If they don’t, contact your own car insurance company and get them to work on it. Yes, you’ll pay a deductible, but your insurance company will help you recover that deductible from the person who was at fault.

I am hundreds of miles away from you; will you still take my case?
At one time, the answer to this question would have been “no.” Today, though, with modern technology being what it is, we represent accident victims all over Virginia (and, from time to time, we handle large cases from out of state). If we accept your case, it doesn’t matter where you are located.

Help! I’ve been injured in an accident and am looking for an attorney. What else should I be doing at this time?
1. Follow your doctor’s instructions and keep all medical appointments.
2. Take digital pictures of your car and your injuries.
3. Obtain the police accident report.
4. You should give a recorded statement to your own car insurance company, if requested.
6. Cooperate with the police and, if subpoenaed, appear at any court hearing.

On July 24, a serious crash near Hillsville resulted in two people being sent to local hospitals for the personal injuries they sustained.

According to Hillsville Fire officials, the three-vehicle crash occurred at approximately 4:30 p.m. The crash involved a vehicle driven by Perry Nester pulling into the path of a westbound Ford Mustang on U.S. 58.

The Mustang was traveling at about 50 miles per hour when it hit Nester’s vehicle. The collision caused the Mustang to then hit a Ford Explorer in the middle turn lane.

EMS crews spent almost a half-hour extracting Nester from the crumpled vehicle. He received air transport to a hospital.

The Mustang’s driver was also taken to a Galax hospital.

The accident was under investigation by the Virginia State Police.

Here’s a quick video about finding the right Virginia Personal Injury Attorney in the Yellow Pages. With over 99 pages of mostly mindless lawyer ads in the Northern Virginia telephone book, it can be a maddening process. The Truth About Lawyer Advertising can help.

Do I need an attorney to represent me?  Not always.  My view is that the more complex the injury is, the more an attorney will be able to add value to your claim.  If your injury is slight and resolves in a few weeks, my book may be all that you need to settle your case yourself.

A vehicular crash involving a car flipping over several
times in Virginia Beach
has caused the death of one person from the personal injuries he sustained from
being ejected from the vehicle.

According to police, shortly after 1:00 a.m. on July 26, a
vehicle was spotted by an officer in a patrol car on Birdneck Road swerving and hitting orange
safety barrels.

According to police, when the officer made an attempt to
stop the vehicle, the driver u-turned before speeding away.

The officer said that he lost sight of the vehicle, but
eventually discovered it at the intersection of Birdneck and Beautiful Street.

The occupant who was ejected as a result of the crash was
pronounced dead at the scene. Another occupant survived, but required transport
to a hospital for injuries sustained in the crash.

According to police, speed was a factor.