14 Virginians Die In Memorial Day Weekend Accidents, 281 Arrested

RICHMOND, VA — As holiday weekend travel increased thanks to the lifting of coronavirus pandemic restrictions, more traffic on Virginia highways also led to an uptick in fatal accidents across the state, state police officials announced Thursday.

Fourteen people were killed across Virginia between midnight on May 28 and midnight on Memorial Day, including eight people who were not wearing seatbelts. Two motorcyclists were also killed in accidents, police said. The fatal accidents took place in Richmond, Virginia Beach and across 10 counties across the commonwealth. The 14 deaths were an increase from the eight people who died in traffic accidents over the Memorial Day weekend in 2020.

“I understand that most Virginians have been driving less in the past year — they may be feeling a bit green in the driver seat and their patience may be a bit short,” Col. Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police superintendent said in a news release. “But the rules of the road haven’t changed and safety on the roadways should be of paramount concern to everyone.

“This holiday weekend, as well as the entire year so far, have seen far too many people lose their lives on Virginia’s highways. Speeding, reckless driving and distractions are leading to tragedy. Every one of these actions is a choice, a choice that has left too many families in mourning. In addition, eight people made the choice not to buckle up, a simple action that could have saved their lives and kept a family whole.”

During the weekend, Virginia state troopers also cited 5,553 drivers for speeding, 1,818 for reckless driving and arrested 79 people for impaired driving, the state police said. Another 740 motorists were cited for seatbelt violations and 281 felony arrests were made. Troopers also assisted 2,302 disabled motorists over the four-day holiday weekend.