UPDATE 11/17/18: BOTETOURT, Va. – Virginia State Police Trooper B.A. Javins is investigating a motor vehicle crash which resulted in two fatalities. The crash occurred Friday (Nov 16) at 1:02 p.m. on Interstate 81, northbound at the 164.7 mile marker in Botetourt County.
A 2007 Honda Civic was traveling north on Interstate 81 in the right lane, when the vehicle crossed the center line, ran off the left side of the roadway, overcorrected and lost control. The vehicle then ran off the right side of the roadway and struck an embankment, causing the vehicle to overturn multiple times, ejecting two of the passengers.
The Civic was driven by Mary Neff Elliott, 80, of Strasburg, Va. Ms. Elliott was wearing her seatbelt and was flown by helicopter to Roanoke Memorial Hospital for injuries received in the crash.
There were four passengers in the Civic. Donald Lee Neff, 70 and a 13-year-old, male juvenile, were both wearing their seatbelts and were transported to Roanoke Memorial for non-life threatening injuries. Juanita Ann Neff, 65, and Charlene Dawn Hodson, 46, also of Strasburg, Va. were not wearing their seatbelts and were ejected from the vehicle; both died at the scene.
The Virginia State Police Crash Reconstruction Team assisted with the crash.
The crash remains under investigation.
From State Police 11/16/18: The crash occurred at 1:02 p.m. at the 164.7 mile marker. This was a single vehicle crash with 5 people in the vehicle, two were ejected. The driver was flown from the scene, two others were transported to the hospital by ground. There are two confirmed fatalities. Traffic southbound is open and the left lane is open northbound while the reconstruction team conducts their investigation. More information will follow.
