October 27, 2014- Richmond, Va.
Southbound Interstate 95 at the Bryan Park interchange was closed for approximately six hours after a four-vehicle crash early Sunday morning.
Shortly after midnight, a dark-colored sedan hit a southbound 2007 Chevrolet SUV. The SUV was propelled into the center lane of the interstate, where it was hit by a 2014 Ford. The Ford was then struck by a 1997 Toyota.
The driver of the Ford — Williams Presley IV, 25, of Petersburg — was pronounced dead at the scene. Four other people were transported to VCU Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries as a result of the accident.
Police are reporting that the driver of the dark-colored sedan did not stop after the crash. While it is not automatically a crime to be involved in a traffic accident, it is illegal to leave the scene of an accident without either reporting the incident or waiting for police to arrive.
In Virginia, the law imposes an affirmative duty on all drivers and passengers over the age of 16 to report accidents.
Penalties for hit and run offenses vary depending on the value of the property damaged and whether a person was injured or killed as a result of the collision.
If an accident results in injury or death to any person or the resultant property damage is greater than $1,000, the driver can be found guilty of a Class 5 felony. A Class 5 felony includes “a term of imprisonment of not less than one year nor more than 10 years, or in the discretion of the jury or the court trying the case without a jury, confinement in jail for not more than 12 months and a fine of not more than $2,500, either or both.”