An 17-month-old child was killed Friday morning in a single-vehicle and pedestrian crash in the Belmont subdivision, which is located just west of the City of Harrisonburg in Rockingham County.
A 16-year-old juvenile has been charged involuntary manslaughter in connection with the accident, which happened at around 8 a.m. at the intersection of Nutmeg Court and Westwind Drive.
According to Virginia State Police, a 1997 Jeep SUV was traveling south on Nutmeg Court when its driver lost control and ran off the right side of the roadway. The Jeep then struck seven pedestrians, two adults and five children.
All of the pedestrians were transported to Rockingham Memorial Hospital. Kate Beagle, 17 months, died as the result of injuries sustained in the crash. One adult, Oriana Good, 45, was transported to the University of Virginia Hospital for treatment of serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.
Beagle’s older sister and two other juveniles were with their babysitter, Christina Glick, 27, of Harrisonburg. The group was walking back from a school bus stop at the time of the accident.
The driver of the Jeep, a 16-year-old male from Harrisonburg, was not injured in the crash.
The crash is being investigated by Trooper I. S. Sargent and is being assisted by the Virginia State Police Crash Reconstruction Team and Bureau of Criminal Investigations. The investigation into the cause of the crash remains ongoing at this time.
Under the direction of the Rockingham County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office the 16 year old driver has been charged involuntary manslaughter. The identity of the driver will not be released since the driver is a juvenile.
The VSP was assisted with the investigation by the Rockingham County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, Rockingham County Sherriff’s Department, and local fire and rescue departments.
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Chris Graham
