8-year-old dies on Christmas after North Carolina driver hit deer in Virginia, cops say
A North Carolina girl died after a driver hit a deer on a Virginia road, officials said.
The 8-year-old was riding in a minivan last week when police said the vehicle struck the animal and then was hit from behind. The child was rushed to a Charlottesville hospital, where she died on Christmas, according to Virginia State Police.
Officers said five other people were injured in the Dec. 24 crash, which was reported in Nelson County. The area is about 20 miles southwest of the University of Virginia.
At about 6 p.m., officials said a Honda Odyssey was going north on U.S. Route 29 when it hit a deer in the roadway.
“The crash investigation has determined that the Honda abruptly stopped due to the impact with the deer, a tractor-trailer traveling behind the minivan was unable to stop in time and rear-ended the minivan,” Virginia State Police said in a news release.
The 8-year-old girl — who was not identified in the release — died of crash-related injuries the next day.
Among the other minivan passengers, a 4-year-old was seriously hurt, and a 6-year-old had minor injuries. Two adults from Taylorsville, North Carolina, also had minor injuries and went to a hospital for treatment, officials said.
The truck driver — identified as a Connecticut man — was hurt and received treatment on the scene. His truck was hauling 42,000 pounds of paper when it ran into the minivan, officials said.
He and the five people in the minivan were all wearing seat belts or strapped into car seats at the time of the wreck, officials said.
As of Dec. 30, police said the incident was still under investigation. Charges were pending, though officials in their news release didn’t say why.
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