Virginia State Police has released more details on a fatal five-vehicle crash that occurred on Sunday afternoon on Route 29 in Madison County. The crash and clean-up closed southbound Route 29 for approximately five hours.
Masashi Kawasaki, 69, of Charlottesville, died while in transport to the hospital. He was wearing a seatbelt and was a passenger in one of the vehicles involved in the accident.
The accident occurred at the intersection of South Seminole Trail and Route 230.
Four vehicles were stopped or had slowed down at a red light on Route 29 when a Ford truck was unable to stop and collided with a Volkswagen, setting off a chain reaction, according to Virginia State Police.
The driver of the Ford truck that caused the accident, Thomas J. Whittle, 38, of Floyd, was not injured. Whittle was charged with reckless driving and failure to wear a seatbelt.
The driver of the Volkswagen, a 69-year-old female from Charlottesville, and a 74-year-old female front seat passenger, both suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to UVA Medical Center for treatment. Both were wearing seatbelts. Kawasaki was a backseat passenger in the Volkswagen.
The driver of a Hyundai, a 25-year-old from the UK, was not injured. A 38-year-old male passenger and a 32-year-old male passenger both suffered minor injuries and were transported to UVA Medical Center for treatment. All were wearing seatbelts.
The driver of another Ford truck, a 49-year-old male from Charlottesville, suffered minor injuries and was transported to UVA Medical Center for treatment. He was wearing a seatbelt.
The driver of a Subaru, a 50-year-old female from Charlottesville, and an 11-year-old female passenger, were not injured in the crash. Both were wearing seatbelts.
The crash remains under investigation.
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Crystal Graham
