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Virginia Highway Death Toll Climbing

By Ben Glass

A firefighter from Henrico County died from the personal injuries he received on the morning of Sunday, March 30 after he was pinned between a vehicle and a tree at his home in New Kent County. According to New Kent authorities, Joseph Ritzenthaler had been a member of the Henrico Fire Department for almost six years.

Rescue workers who responded to the call on Piney Branch Lane in Providence Forge discovered Ritzenthaler trapped. They extracted him, provided medical care, and transported him to VCU Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead, according to authorities.

According to authorities, Ritzenthaler might have been attempting to start the vehicle to go to work when it lurched forward and trapped him against the tree. The death is under investigation as an accident.

Virginia State Police also noted that a man died the night before in a crash in Madison County.

Police said that 50-year-old Robert Jenkins died when his truck crashed into a tree shortly after 8 p.m. The accident took place on West Hoover Road. Police said he was not wearing his seat belt.

State police also said that a man from Vienna died in a hospital on March 27 from the personal injuries he received in a crash over a week prior.

Shortly after noon on March 19, 65-year-old Wenceslao Yap crashed his car on Interstate 66 in Fairfax County. As he attempted to avoid debris, his vehicle ran off the left side of the road, hitting a barrier, according to authorities.

The three fatalities bring the 2008 highway death toll of Virginia to 191, compared with 200 at the same time last year.

Full post as published by Northern Virginia Personal Injury Lawyer on May 08, 2008 (boomark / email).