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Berryville man dead, ejected from car following crash after police pursuit

Crystal Graham
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A police pursuit in Clarke County led to the death of a driver when he failed to maneuver a curve and ran off the roadway on Monday.

Virginia State Police is investigating the single-vehicle fatal crash on June 24 that followed a pursuit on Route 653, or Kimble Road.

According to VSP, the accident occurred at 9:51 p.m.

The driver, Zachery W. Smallwood, 21, of Berryville, was ejected during the crash and died at the scene.

Smallwood was traveling north on Route 653 at a high rate of speed and ran off the left side of the roadway and struck several trees and a power pole guide wire, according to police. He was driving a 2014 Hyundai Sonata and was not wearing a seatbelt.

The Clarke County Sheriff’s Office has not disclosed the events that preceded the crash.

Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

Crystal Abbe Graham is the regional editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, she has worked for nearly 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of Virginia Tonight, a nightly TV news show. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television.