5 Va. teens killed in 3 weekend crashes

Media General News Service

Published: November 17, 2008

A young man from Richmond died from injuries he suffered in a single-vehicle crash in Henrico County Saturday, Virginia State Police reported.

Joseph West Hadleigh, 19, of the 3900 block of Stuart Avenue was traveling west on Monument Avenue, 300 feet west of Staples Mill Road, when his car crossed into the center median and struck a tree at 3:30 a.m., ejecting him, police said. Hadleigh died at the scene at 3:48 a.m.

He was not wearing a seat belt, police said.

Also, three Virginia Beach teenagers died from injuries they suffered Friday in a two-vehicle crash in Virginia Beach, police said.

Matthew Charles Kirkbride, 18, the driver, and two passengers, Joseph Scott Jenkins, 17, and Adam Ross Sherman, 17, all died at the scene at 1:55 p.m., police said. The victims were traveling west on Salem Road, 1½ miles east of Landstown Road, when the car fishtailed and was struck on the passenger side by a van in the eastbound lane.

They were all wearing seat belts, authorities said.

In Russell County, Daniel Ray Tucker, 16, of Swords Creek died Friday from injuries he suffered in a single-car crash.

He was a passenger in a car traveling on state Route 67, about a mile south of state Route 622, when the vehicle struck an embankment and overturned at 10:30 p.m., ejecting him, police said. He died at the scene.

He was not wearing a seat belt, police said.

There have been 711 deaths on Virginia highways this year, compared with 908 as of the same date last year, state police said.