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I-64 crash results in one death, severe injuries for person who stopped to help

Crystal Graham
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A driver traveling east on Interstate 64 in Alleghany County lost control of his vehicle which was struck by a second car resulting in one death and one serious injury.

Emmanuel Dontrell Smothers, 27, a passenger in one of the vehicles, died at the scene.

The crash occurred Friday at 9:26 p.m. on I-64, four tenths of a mile west of exit seven.

A Dodge Ram driven by Robert R. Holmes, 51, of Covington, lost control and ran off the left side of the roadway and overturned.

A second vehicle, a Toyota Corolla, driven by Jesse J. Derringer, 25, of Blue Ridge, also lost control, ran off the left side of the road and struck the Dodge and a pedestrian who had stopped to assist in the first crash.

The 35-year-old pedestrian was severely injured and transported to the hospital. The pedestrian’s name has not been released.

Holmes was transported to the hospital. Smothers was a passenger in his vehicle.

Derringer was not injured.

Holmes and Derringer were both charged with reckless driving.

Virginia State Police is investigating the two-vehicle fatal 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 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 on PBS. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television.