by Don Richeson –
A Locust Hill crash claimed the life of a Topping man last Friday evening. The man, Joseph P. Pearce, 85, died at the scene after the 2019 Hyundai Sonata sedan he was driving ran off General Puller Highway (Route 33), reported Sgt. Michelle Anaya of the Virginia State Police (VSP).
The driver was traveling westbound on General Puller Highway, when the vehicle ran off the roadway just east of Philpott Road. It then struck a road sign and multiple mailboxes, became airborne and eventually landed in a ditch. The driver was wearing his safety belt at the time of the crash, and succumbed to his injuries at the scene. There was no indication of alcohol as a factor of the crash. Only one vehicle was involved in the crash.
The driver lived on Hanamalea Lane.
It was the second fatal crash of the year in Middlesex County.
