Norfolk, VA (July 13, 2021) – A 25-year-old man died early Sunday morning, July 11, after a vehicle in which he was traveling overturned and hit a tree on Interstate 264, state police officers said.
Around 1:30 a.m., officers responded to the accident, which occurred on the westbound side of the interstate near Independence Boulevard. According to initial reports released by police, the driver of a 2007 Hyundai Sonata, 23-year-old Leevonte Akeem Mullen, attempted to navigate onto the second Independence Boulevard exit ramp before running off the road, rolling the car, and hitting a tree.
The Sonata’s passenger, since identified as 25-year-old Akili Roosevelt McGruder, died on impact. Mullen suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital via ambulance. He remains there in serious condition.
Both men were wearing their seatbelts, though police say alcohol and speed played a role in the crash. The investigation is ongoing.
We would like to offer our deepest condolences to the family of Akili Roosevelt McGruder. Our thoughts are with the injured victim in hopes of a full recovery.
Car Accident Fatalities in Virginia
Each day, millions of people throughout our state use motor vehicles to travel to and from their destinations. Automobiles are an extremely popular method for transportation and allow most people to make it safely where they intend to go. Regrettably, this is not always the case. In fact, hundreds of people lose their lives in motor vehicle accidents each year in Virginia. In many cases, driver negligence is the cause of these collisions. There are numerous instances where people lose their lives due to drivers engaging in the following behaviors while operating their vehicles, including but not limited to:
- Speeding and disobeying traffic laws.
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or drowsy driving.
- Using cell phones or engaging in other distracting behaviors that keep your eyes off the road.
When drivers fail to give their full attention to the road ahead, it can have detrimental consequences for others. When victims lose their lives in preventable accidents as a result of other drivers’ negligence, it is crucial that their families reach out to a wrongful death attorney in Virginia as soon as possible. Families may be entitled to compensation to help alleviate the financial burdens they face moving forward.
Working with a competent Virginia Beach attorney will ensure your family is able to move forward and recover after experience a loss resulting from the negligence of another driver. Virginia personal injury attorney Ron Kramer of Virginia Beach Law Firm has extensive experience helping grieving families get the justice they deserve after losing a loved one in a preventable collision. We provide proven and effective legal guidance to ensure our clients are able to protect their legal rights after enduring a tragic loss. Our team stops at nothing to ensure our clients are in the best position possible to move forward. If you’ve lost a loved one in an auto accident in the Virginia Beach area, contact our Virginia personal injury law firm at (757) 802-4662 to schedule a free case evaluation at your earliest convenience to explore legal options available for you in your time of need.
Note: Our team of writers uses secondary sources when gathering information for these posts. This includes, but is not limited to local news stories, police accident reports, and eyewitness accounts of injury accidents in the Hampton Roads area. Our staff does not independently verify the information in our posts. As a result, if you find any information that is not correct or if you would prefer that we remove the post, please contact our firm right away so that we can make the appropriate changes to reflect the most accurate information available or remove the post.
Disclaimer: Virginia Beach Injury Law has worked hard throughout the years to become valued members of the local Virginia Beach business community. Our goal in writing these posts is to inform and educate Virginia residents about the dangers of driving and boating in hopes that everyone will use caution when operating any type of vehicle or watercraft and avoid being involved in a serious accident. This post should not be misconstrued as a solicitation for business. These posts are not intended to be legal or medical advice. The photos depicted in this post are not from the actual accident scene.
