July 12, 2010
UPDATE:
Police have identified the driver in Saturday morning's fatal crash on Route 53.
Albemarle County Police say 26-year-old Joshua Smith of Chillicothe, Ohio, was killed when his car veered off the Thomas Jefferson Parkway around 3:25 a.m. Saturday. Police say speed is an apparent factor in the crash, but other possible factors are not yet known.
"We're measuring skid marks, using some computer program and imaging, and hopefully [we'll] get a better handle on what happened," said Cpl. Sean Hackney of Albemarle County Police. "We're leaning toward possibly high speeds and this will let us know, yes or no, whether that was a factor."
Smith died at the scene of the accident. Police say he arrived in Charlottesville on Friday to visit with family.
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July 10, 2010
A car went off the roadway on the 600 block of Route 53 near Michie Tavern in Albemarle County early Saturday morning, and the driver was killed.
The driver was the only one in the car, Albemarle County police say.
Officers responded to the scene at 3:25 am Saturday morning, and pronounced the driver dead at the scene.
Police continue to investigate the crash, and no further details, including the driver's identity have been released at this time.
The Virginia Department of Transportation says, Route 53 is prone to accidents and has been laden with safety concerns for years. That's because the rural primary road has many sharp curves.
VDOT spokesman Lou Hatter says, "Drivers really have to pay attention on Route 53. We've looked at that road in the past and will continue to try to make safety improvements."
Hatter says, Route 53 has also seen an increase in traffic. Just last month, seven people were sent to the hospital after two vehicles collided head-on. Luckily, no one suffered life-threatening injuries.
VDOT has made recent safety improvements to Route 53, which include added pavement marking and more signs that warn drivers that there are "curves ahead."
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