Virginia State Police are investigating a single-vehicle crash, which resulted in a fatality. The crash occurred during a police pursuit by King George Police Department.
The Crash
The crash occurred on Monday, (Mar 28) at 7:06 p.m. at the intersection of Kings Highway, Route 3, and Rollins Fork Rd.
Rollins Fork Road was shut down for hours due to the crash and did not reopen until 10 p.m. that evening.
A black 2012 Hyundai Sonata, driven by Ericka Joyner, was traveling eastbound when it ran off the right side of the road at a very high rate of speed, struck an embankment, and overturned. Joyner was ejected from the vehicle.
Sadly, Ericka Joyner, 40, of Richmond, Va., died at the scene. She was not wearing her seat belt.
The crash remains under investigation.
The Police Pursuit – VSP investigating death following King George Police Pursuit
According to First Sergeant Kecia A. Wharton of the King George Sheriff’s Office the crash happened during a police pursuit. Wharton provided the following details.
On March 28 at 6:53 p.m. the King George County Sheriff’s Office received a call from an off-duty Charles County Maryland Sheriff’s Deputy reporting a black Sudan was traveling southbound on Route 301, leaving Maryland and entering King George County, Virginia by way of the Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge.
The Charles County Deputy reported that the vehicle was crossing the double solid yellow lines and driving in the oncoming lane to pass other motorists on the bridge.
Sergeant Wharton said, “Our units weren’t right in that area so it took us actually a while to try to catch up.”
Wharton added, “We kept getting updates from the unit.”
It was reported that the vehicle was passing other motorists on the shoulder while traveling on Route 301 southbound.
Wharton said the King George unit that responded, caught up to the vehicle at the intersection of Route 301 and Route 3.
The King George Deputy reported that the vehicle turned left and headed eastbound on Route 3 heading towards Westmoreland County.
“Our unit saw the vehicle in the distance and was working to catch up.” Wharton said. “Our deputy activated his emergency equipment and caught up to the vehicle. The vehicle did not pull over and began passing the other vehicles, driving in the oncoming lane for several seconds.”
Wharton reported that their deputy slowed down and hung back for safety reasons resulting in the driver getting ahead of the King George Deputy. However the Deputy could still see the vehicle.
As the King George Deputy was coming up a hill and around a curve he observe the vehicle flipping in the distance.
From that distance the deputy saw the vehicle flipping but was unable to see the driver being thrown from the vehicle.
Upon reaching the vehicle the deputy discovered the driver was not inside. He located the driver a short distance from the car and observed she was still breathing. The Deputy did not move the driver in case of spinal injury.
A passing nurse stopped to help the deputy render aid and assess the driver until EMS arrived. The driver was transported to Mary Washington Hospital where she was later pronounced dead.
Despite reports of the vehicle traveling in excess of 100 mph, no other vehicles where reported to have been struck or any other people injured during the incident.
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