Crashes claim three lives
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| Thousands of lives are shattered in motor vehicle crashes each year. Drivers often find out too late how hard it is to stop a moving vehicle that weighs 3,500 pounds or more. (Photo by Tom Chillemi) |
by Tom Chillemi
Please Buckle Up
Middlesex High School assistant principal Susan Leggett stood at the exit to MHS on Tuesday afternoon making sure students put on their seat belts.
“If I could just get one thing across to these kids about driving and riding with their friends is to wear their seat belts,” she said.
Leggett knew the two young women who died in crashes this week and her voice cracked when she said she was having a difficult time dealing with their deaths. “I hope that out of this sorrow and tragedy that everybody is facing, that before people put it in drive, they will put on their seat belt and keep doing it until it becomes second nature.”
Leggett said faculty and staff who monitor the parking lots have stepped up their efforts to see that seat belts are buckled. “It’s so easy to do, and could mean so much.”
Three Middlesex County residents, who were not wearing safety belts, died in separate motor vehicle crashes this week, reported the State Police.
On Wednesday, January 11, LaTasha Nicole (Cephus) Scott, 19, a 2011 graduate of Middlesex High School, died after being ejected from a vehicle that overturned on Route 14 near King and Queen Elementary School, said King and Queen Sheriff J. Charboneau. The crash occurred about 2:37 p.m. at Little Plymouth.
Less than 12 hours later, Scott’s cousin, Michael V. Stokes, 54, of Saluda died when his SUV struck a utility pole on Route 17 near Jamaica in Middlesex County, said Sgt. G. Mathias of the Virginia State Police. The crash occurred about 12:43 a.m. on Thursday, January 12.
On Monday, January 16, Cassandra J. Woods, 20, of Saluda, died at the scene after being partially ejected from a SUV that overturned in the Town of West Point.
On Tuesday, DaYonta Scott was in an induced coma at VCU Medical Center in Richmond.
Latasha Nicole (Cephus) Scott, 19, of Saluda and sister of the driver, was pronounced dead at Riverside Walter Reed Hospital in Gloucester, said Sheriff Charboneau.
A smile that would brighten the room
Those who knew 19-year-old LaTasha (Cephus) Scott remember her outgoing personality and how she made people smile.
“She was a one of a kind friend to all,” said LaToya Kimble, a friend and fellow athlete. “She knew how to make your day especially when you were down.”
LaTasha played basketball for five years at Middlesex High School and ran track. “She had a smile that would brighten the room,” said Johann Odom, one of her track coaches.
“She did what she was asked and was a very competitive athlete,” Odom added. “It was definitely a pleasure to coach her.”
Jasmine Fells, LaTasha’s cousin and close friend, lived near her in Urbanna. “She always had a way to make you laugh by acting goofy or telling a joke,” said Fells.
“Everybody is upset but I feel like we need to stay strong for her,” Fells continued. “She wouldn’t want us to be sad and crying.”
At LaTasha’s “homegoing” service on Sunday at Immanuel Baptist Church in Saluda, Kimble concluded her reflections by saying, “LaTasha, your dreams, hopes, and plans for tomorrow will live on in the hearts and minds of us all.You will be forever missed, but never forgotten as you smile down on us from heaven above.”
A third passenger, Dionte Kindell Bracey, Miss Scott’s boyfriend, was uninjured.
None of the occupants was wearing seat belts, said Sheriff Charboneau, who added that speed was a contributing factor but alcohol was not a factor.
King and Queen deputy Z.A. Williams investigated the crash, which is still under investigation. No charges have been filed at this time.
The Lower King and Queen Fire and Rescue Squad responded to the scene and was assisted by West Point Fire and Rescue.
LaTasha Scott, who recently moved from Urbanna to Williamsburg, was attending Bluefield College.
Stokes, who was not wearing his seat belt, was pronounced dead at the scene.He was the only occupant.
It was raining at the time of the crash, said Sgt. Mathias, who added that speed and alcohol do not appear to be factors. It is unknown where the victim was traveling to or from.
The right lane of northbound Route 17 was closed several hours while the State Police investigated the crash. The left lane remained open and passing motorists were not affected.
The impact snapped the utility pole, knocking out electricity to numerous residents for several hours. Dominion Virginia Power replaced the pole and restored power about 9 a.m., said a local resident.
The Upper Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department of Water View and Middlesex Sheriff’s Office assisted the State Police at the crash scene.
Trooper J.A. Teagle investigated the crash.
According to the police investigation, Woods, who was not wearing her safety belt, was partially ejected and died at the scene.
All three passengers were wearing their safety belts.
Two 15-year-old female passengers suffered minor injuries and were transported by ambulance to Sentara Hospital in Williamsburg. A 19-year-old male passenger was not injured in the crash.
The crash remains under investigation by the State Police.
